Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin broke with the party on Sunday, announcing that he will not vote for the For the People Act.
Manchin, who represents West Virginia, clearly stated his opposition to the sweeping voting rights bill and also said that he would not support Democratic efforts to alter filibuster rules to help push President Joe Biden’s agenda through an evenly divided Senate in an op-ed for the Charleston Gazette-Mail.
“I believe that partisan voting legislation will destroy the already weakening binds of our democracy and for that reason, I will vote against the For the People Act,” Manchin wrote. “Furthermore, I will not vote to weaken or eliminate the filibuster.”
The For the People Act features a wide range of provisions aimed at expanding access to ballots and ending partisan gerrymandering of congressional districts including automatic voter registration for all who are eligible, ensuring the right to vote for those who have completed felony sentences, enhancing federal support for voting security and tightening fundraising rules for super PACs.
It was introduced by Rep. John Sarbanes, D-Md., in January in response to the 2020 presidential election, and passed in the House by a vote of 220-210 in March, with just one Democrat joining all of the chamber’s Republicans in opposing the measure.
Manchin cited the lack of Republican support in announcing his opposition to the bill, referencing GOP support for actions following the riot by supporters of former President Donald Trump on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6.
“This more than 800-page bill has garnered zero Republican support. Why?” Manchin said. “Are the very Republican senators who voted to impeach Trump because of actions that led to an attack on our democracy unwilling to support actions to strengthen our democracy? Are these same senators, whom many in my party applauded for their courage, now threats to the very democracy we seek to protect?”
Manchin pushed instead for the Senate to push through the narrower John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, which has garnered support from Rep. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska.
“The John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act would update the formula states and localities must use to ensure proposed voting laws do not restrict the rights of any particular group or population,” he said.
Manchin added that he does not support weakening or eliminating the filibuster to pass the voting rights measures through the Senate without Republican support, citing opposition by Democratic senators when Trump sought to remove the rule in 2017. To end a filibuster, 60 votes are needed.
“Do we really want to live in an America where one party can dictate and demand everything and anything it wants, whenever it wants?” said Manchin. “I have always said, ‘If I can’t go home and explain it, I can’t vote for it.’ And I cannot explain strictly partisan election reform or blowing up the Senate rules to expedite one party’s agenda.”
Chris Wallace tells Manchin he’s doing the filibuster ‘exactly the wrong way’ and he’s being ‘naive’ about Republicans.
Does Chris Wallace have a position to push with the following comments and questions from the interview?
“You said you oppose scrapping the filibuster,” Wallace noted. “The question I have is whether or not — and you say that you hope that will bring the parties together — the question I have is whether or not you’re doing it exactly the wrong way?” — “Hear me out on this,” the Fox News host continued. “If you were to keep the idea that maybe you would vote to kill the filibuster, wouldn’t that give Republicans an incentive to actually negotiate because old Joe Manchin is out there and who knows what he’s going to do? By taking it off the table, haven’t you empowered Republicans to be obstructionists?” — “Sen. McConnell, the head of the Republicans in the Senate, says that he’s 100% focused on blocking the Biden agenda. Question: Aren’t you being naive about this continuing talk about bipartisan cooperation?”, Wallace added.
Manchin’s op-ed prompted pushback from Democrats, who criticized him for holding up protection for voters as both Florida and Georgia have implemented sweeping laws limiting vote-by-mail and other forms of voting and the Texas state Senate passed a bill restricting the use of mail-in ballots, limiting early voting hours and eliminating ballot drop boxes and drive-through voting locations, prompting condemnation from President Joe Biden and a walkout by House Democrats.
“The unraveling of our fragile democracy is occurring right in front of our eyes and at breakneck speed,” Rep. Veronica Escobar, D-Texas wrote on Twitter. “I can’t understand the Dems contributing to that demise by failing to respond urgently to voter suppression laws happening in states like mine.”
The entire interview is below.
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So, do we actually have a level-headed Democrat in Congress or are we being set up?
Good question. Is Manchin a Democrat who actually has some scruples? Or is this just a ruse?
IMO ITS more, that he knows if he votes for it. ALL THE CONSERVATIVES who run West VA, will get RID Of his sorry butt.
So he knows which side of the bread, his butter is on..
Chris Wallace is a piece of work if ever there was one. He has exposed himself as just another mouth piece for carrying out the Left is democrat parties Marxist,socialist, agenda.The issue that has all the Democrats excited is that he can’t be perssuaded to call in line with the Leftist Democrat party agenda and of course Chris Wallace is all upset, How dare Senator Manchin do this…
Praying that Manchin holds out for what’s right…
I sincerely hope Manchin holds firm. I know the Democratic Marxists have many ways of forcing their hand. I remember the manipulations when 0bama was pushing his socialized medicine program appropriately called 0bamaCare.
“Do we really want to live in an America where one party can dictate and demand everything and anything it wants, whenever it wants?” said Manchin. “I have always said, ‘If I can’t go home and explain it, I can’t vote for it.’ And I cannot explain strictly partisan election reform or blowing up the Senate rules to expedite one party’s agenda.”
The dishonorable socialist Democrat Party revolves around and its philosophy is based on
Control, Hate, Lies, Cons, Deceptions, Immorality and the lack of Integrity, Ethics or Honor.
“Manchin pushed instead for the Senate to push through the narrower John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act”? “Particularly, it would bring back the Voting Rights Act of 1965’s requirement that certain states pre-clear certain changes to their voting laws with the federal government”. States would need the ok from the Federal Government to pre – clear changes to their voting laws? Manchin is a joke. Secondly, Mr. Smirky face Chris Wallace can go to you know where. Hey Chris Wallace, does anyone watch you on Fox News?
Manchin is a Democrat and if his vote is needed he’ll find a reason to vote with the Democrats.
But Manchin is a senator from red state West Virginia, a state that has 2 main resources, coal and lumber. Manchin knows if he goes in lock step with New York and California dummycrats his political career is over.
I certainly hope not.
I damn sure don’t. I remember how he encouraged Susan Rice in all her lies. The only thing half way decent about Chris Wallace is his wife’s soup cook book.
Since the debate you start to see the the anti conservative, anti republican leanings from Wallace. He’s no mike Wallace or Tim Russet. The people’s act is such a sham. They try to put nice names on legislation that is total garbage to try to fool many that they are nice bills. LOOK at the actual words in these BS named acts or legislation- most of them proposed by the demorats will not be good. Really READ them.
A while ago, perhaps under our first anti-American Marxist Muslim president… media personalities stopped pretending they were reporting the news–just the news, and began to push their own Marxist agenda. So sad.
One man’s voter suppression law is another’s vote protection. There is no discrimination in equal obligation to provide a valid ID, and appear at a voting booth in person. There are just as many elderly disabled white people as blacks who will be inconvenienced to get off their dead ends and vote in person. Such equally enforced laws may suppress the ignorant, the lazy, the stupid and the corrupt, but who wants them to vote in their own kind to become out leaders anyway?,,,,,The ignorant, stupid, and corrupt Socialist dominated Democrats of course. Thank God Manchin has not degenerated into one of them. God speaks, he listens, unlike the Democrat President who only the devil has his ears.
IF anything, we need to make it HARDER TO vote, JUST SO WE weed out those lazy and stupid folk.
Is Chris Wallace an idiot? Does he have a brain? Is he just stupid? It appears that we may have one Democrat with the ability to think rationally. I hope Manchin continues on course. The bill is unconstitutional on its face. Should it pass, it will be in court for years.
IT BETTER Be held up in courts… BUT with as spineless as the GOP has shown itself to be, i fear it wouldn’t get sued to halt it.
Wallace asks Manchin if he’s Naive? LOL. Like the dumb person to the smart person – you’re dumb. LOL.
I have to wonder if Wallace knows what sex he is or did he buy into the 50+ genders the mentally insane say are out there.
In the Trump era, Wallace has exposed himself for the leftist democrat that he is. Fox News Executive Mgmt. has not figured out that viewers are leaving the network because they can get the Democrat view on dozens of other liberal networks and social media sites, and that conservatives have their belly full of leftists like Mike Wallace. Whereas I used to watch Fox News with Mike Wallace, I never watch it now. To even consider it makes me want to projectile vomit.
Wallace’s problem is that he will never be as good and honest as his daddy, and everyone knows it. Too bad we don’t have any real journalists in this country, the last one we had was Walter Cronkite. Now we are stuck with nothing but talking heads giving us their opinions, not the real news or stories. People distrust the MSM, and with good cause.
We’ll have to disagree on Walter Cronkite. Walter Cronkite fooled a lot of us for a very long time but enough has been written about him that many have realized that we were fooled. You might want to check it out.
Walter Cronkite: Liberal Media Icon
https://www.mrc.org/profiles-bias/walter-cronkite-liberal-media-icon
New Biography of CBS Newsman Walter Cronkite Dents His Halo
https://www.newsweek.com/new-biography-cbs-newsman-walter-cronkite-dents-his-halo-64849
Fifty Years Ago, a Conservative Activist Launched an Effort to Record All Network News Broadcasts
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/conservative-activists-quest-preserve-all-network-news-broadcasts-180969761/
PITY FOx keeps him on.. SEND him to CNN where he belongs.
Now, that is very rude for a newscaster to ask someone if they are naïve! It shows the bias, ignorance and hypocrisy of the “news” man. He is SUPPOSED to be reporting the news, not making it up!
With Send Manchine as with Republican ” RINO S ” You never know What’s You Get In A Box Of Chocolate….. “
Manchin is the only democrat in congress with some integrity and virtue. Chris Wallace has become or is too pompous, too big for his britches,
Joe Manchin is one of very few old-school Democrats around, one untouched by the radicals who crave power for the sack of having the power instead of using it to represent the will of the voters. The radicals all seem to be schooled in the Socialist Marxist principles that eventually fail no matter where they are tried unless bolstered by ruthless military backing, i.e. a police state! As to Chris Wallace, he’s losing his political acumen as was evident in the ‘debates’. Veronica Escobar was totally wrong about the unraveling of our fragile democracy, Democrats are tearing it to shreds by creating straw concrens to attack.
Beware the Democrats who vote per their conscience and back the constitution. Especially be paranoid if the Clinton influence is brought into the mix to sway your opinions. The alternative is that you may find yourself “accident prone” or “suicidal”.
So chris wallace true colors finally come out. I remember before and it was said he was so against Trump but most dismissed it saying wallace was very neutral.
So he finally showed how “demcrat” he really is. As others have said, no more chris wallace watching for me. I am NOT republican nor democrat so I say this for myself only.
No, Chris (Wallace), Senator Manchin would NOT be enabling “Republicans to be obstructionists”. By being REASONABLE, he is showing that HE is not wanting to be part of a tyrannical dictatorship (or participate in the destruction of democracy)!
HE shows he is a Constitutionalist….
I’ve said this once, I’ll say it again… Manchin needs to switch to the GOP..
Manchin aligns himself with the RINOs now. I don’t really want another one but he would swing the numbers our way, barely.
I am not so sure i’d want him in the GOP. YES his voting record seems more conservative than liberal, but he STILL has some bad votes on his record.
As Russia’s. Putin Once was supposed to have said in regards to Muslims Coming to Russia, ” Muslims need Russia, Russia, doesn’t need Muslims”
I have not been a Chris Wallace fan for as long as I can remember. He is a dyed in the wool liberal Democrat who’s true colors came out during the
Trump Administration. As for his badgering Sen. Manchin, it showed how shallow he is.
Senator Manchin is a man with integrity and values and takes into consideration his constituents before he votes. He is not self-centered like Schumer or the rest of the thugs who vote the way they feel and then explain to their constituents why they, (the constituents) should like it.
Thank you for being a man of integrity Senator Manchin. I don’t always agree with you but I have the utmost respect for the way in which you conduct your self.
“…..following the riot by supporters of former President Donald Trump on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6….”
At least the AP dropped the armed insurrection line. But hasn’t the author seen any of the hours upon hours of video that clearly demonstrate Anti-FA and BLM were the violent presence on Jan 6?
now just watch and see the dems prove what scum they are -sen manchin–
if you thought the dems were going to kill coal before–they will now come at you like never before-
Hopefully Manchin will stick to his guns on this.
West Virgina came into being when it seceded from Virgina at the beginning of the Civil War. Under the tenure of Manchin, I have watched it meander close to being a conservative State, then back away at the bitter end. Teasing those of us who fall for the promise of Mr. Manchin’s common sense every time. I fall for it every time, but I never fall for the possibility that Chris Wallace isn’t a dyed in the wool democrat. Does he hang around Fox after the shows getting anti-Trump, anti-American blue collar destruction pointers from Kathryn? This current administration is the most destructive I have ever seen, and I can’t help but wonder if West Virginia will make the right choice again?
Response to comments. By NO PARTY….
At this time in the ” United States, the. Citizens are Never more DIVIDEd And Confused more the they are today. Perhaps this is the results of a political party, The Democrat party, elite membership is composed of such ” Radicals as The Muslim Squad, and ” The Black Race only , and I guess, Barbar Walters( GET IN THEIR FACE Leftist, Marxist radicals. And so when a member of such a Anti-American , political party departs from the Democrat party on a issue because the citizens that he represents don’t feel the way that the Marxists of their party do, Senator Manchain is looked upon as someone who’s split from his party and not to be trusted by either party, Senator Manchain doesn’t deserve such treatment just because he cared to stand up for his principles.