Manchin Opposed to Abolishing Filibuster to Increase Nation's Borrowing Limit

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Senator Joe Manchin (D-W. Va.) says he’s opposed to abolishing the Senate filibuster as a workaround to increasing the nation’s borrowing limit, dealing a blow to more progressive members of Congress who have suggested it as a viable path to increase the nation’s borrowing limit.

“I’ve been very very clear where I stand on the filibuster. Nothing changes,” Manchin told reporters, saying Senate leaders need to “lead” and “work” together to avoid an “artificial crisis.”

Earlier this week, Manchin said he didn’t see abolishing the filibuster as an option to raise the debt ceiling.

“The filibuster has nothing to do with debt ceiling. Basically, we have other tools that we can use and if we have to use them we should use them,” Manchin said at the time.

Republicans are trying to force the Democrats to raise the debt ceiling, which is a cap on the amount of money the U.S. government can borrow to pay its debts. They are already planning to block a debt suspension bill and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) have already made clear they are not negotiating on the debt ceiling.

Manchin and fellow Democratic moderate Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.) have been the biggest roadblocks to the ability of the Democrats to codify their economic and social policy agenda.