President Joe Biden is warning that American democracy is at risk — and pointing the finger at certain Republicans who pose the threat.
During a Fortune conference on video, Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) appeared in a video call and brought up his defense of the filibuster, and he suggested his own party could bring an end to democracy.
“You get rid of the filibuster in the Senate, and you’ve lost democracy as we know it,” he said.
The senator explained, “Because you will not have a check and balance on the executive branch of government.”
Manchin went on to give credit to Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) for rejecting then-President Donald Trump’s push to get rid of the procedural hurdle.
Watch the video below:
“You get rid of the filibuster in the Senate, and you’ve lost democracy as we know it because you will not have a check and balance on the executive branch of government.”
— The Recount (@therecount) November 3, 2022
— Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) links the efforts to end the filibuster to threats against democracy pic.twitter.com/yLfnx4Y6ab
Finally, Manchin noted McConnell’s argument to Trump that Democrats could utilize the lack of the filibuster to advance legislation without hindrance.
The filibuster is a procedural hurdle that requires 60 votes for most legislation to pass.
In a Wednesday night speech, Biden urged voters to look beyond mere policy decisions and consider that “what’s at stake is not just the policy of the moment, but institutions that have held us together as we have sought a more perfect union are also at stake.”
“We must vote knowing who we have been, what we’re at risk of becoming,” he added.
Biden claimed the “assault on our democracy” by so-called MAGA Republicans is ongoing.
But while the president focused on Republicans, Manchins’ comments seemed to be a warning to his own party by suggesting they could threaten democracy.
As Biden’s agenda languished in Congress earlier, he pushed Democrats to eliminate the filibuster which would let them pass legislation with just 51 votes.
However, Manchin and Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.) voted against changing the filibuster rules.
