Facing criticism from both sides of the aisle regarding the controversial elements of their agenda, progressive politicians in Washington have accused Republicans and moderate Democrats of stonewalling their agenda using the filibuster. However, the filibuster is doing exactly what it was created to do – since Democrats took control of Congress last January, legislators from across the political spectrum have debated and negotiated to find policy solutions that work for both parties on issues ranging from infrastructure to voting rights. Now, as some Democrats ratchet up the pressure on key members of Congress to make catastrophic changes to the Senate rules, it’s more important than ever that we stand with Senator Joe Manchin to protect the filibuster.
The filibuster was originally created to encourage bipartisanship and cooperation in Congress. The Senate’s sixty-vote threshold means approval from some members of the minority party is typically needed to pass policy, and it stops slim majorities from voting in favor of hastily written partisan legislation. Senator Manchin is one of the only members of Congress to stay consistent on the filibuster, and he’s used the sixty-vote threshold to build bipartisan consensus around well-thought-out bills to fix our country’s pressing problems.Â
Last year, some Democrats launched a campaign pushing Senator Manchin to make changes to the filibuster and criticized his efforts to work across the aisle to find Republican support for legislation to invest in American infrastructure. But instead of caving to progressive pressure, Senator Manchin led the charge to pass a landmark $1.2 trillion investment in roads, bridges, broadband, and other infrastructure, which included billions of dollars earmarked especially for West Virginia. The bill defied expectations and passed with a strong show of Republican approval.
But Senator Manchin is pressing further than infrastructureto find bipartisan support for challenging issues that have proven difficult to tackle in the past. He is currently spearheading bipartisan negotiations that will address the area of voting reform both parties have sought to fix in the past, but have yet been able to accomplish. The key tool in accomplishing something that will address such a broad range of issues? The filibuster, which has helped keep one party from finalizing legislation that would be wildly unpopular with half of the American population, and put leadership from both parties squarely facing each other at the negotiating table.
It’s clear that the filibuster isn’t simply a tool to gum up the works in Washington, as progressives claim. It’s a key Senate rule that brings legislators from across the aisle together to pass necessary legislation. It’s also one of the most prominent safeguards we as Americans have to prevent shallow policy rooted in partisan pursuits overrobust and meaningful reforms that members of both parties can agree will help move the country forward. Senator Manchin’s assurance the filibuster will remain a fundamental tool in the lawmaking process guarantees usthat only the latter shall prevail.