Moderate Sens. Joe Manchin (D-WV) and Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ) have criticized Kamala Harris for supporting the elimination of the Senate filibuster to pass a national abortion rights bill. Harris, who is running for president, has faced a backlash for what many see as a radical move that could have unintended consequences.
Manchin called Harris’ plan to eliminate the filibuster “the most horrible thing” and warned it would lead to the destruction of the bipartisan spirit in the Senate. He noted that the filibuster encourages cooperation between parties and that removing it would transform the Senate into “the House on steroids.” Manchin stated that this issue was important enough to make him reconsider supporting Harris in her presidential bid.
Sinema, who recently left the Democratic Party to become an independent, took to social media to express her disapproval of Harris’ plan. She warned that eliminating the filibuster would allow a future Congress to ban all abortions nationwide, making Harris’ idea both dangerous and short-sighted.
Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR) attacked Harris for reversing her position on the filibuster. He highlighted a letter Harris signed while she was a senator in which she pledged to support the filibuster as a way to preserve Senate deliberations. Cotton said her new stance shows that she is willing to “say anything to get elected.”
Harris’ endorsement of the filibuster’s removal is adding to the divisions within the Democratic Party and raising questions about her broader strategy as a presidential candidate.
