Harris calls for eliminating filibuster to pass 'Roe' abortion bill into federal law
Vice President Kamala Harris said she backs eliminating the 60-vote filibuster requirement in order to reinstate Roe v. Wade, which would federalize abortion access nationwide, during a Wisconsin Public Radio (WPR) interview Tuesday.
The filibuster is a Senate rule that allows a minority to block legislation pending a supermajority vote, so ending it would make it easier to pass laws related to abortion rights.
"I think we should eliminate the filibuster for Roe," Harris said on the "Wisconsin Today" show. "And get us to the point where 51 votes would be what we need to actually put back in law the protections for reproductive freedom and for the ability of every person and every woman to make decisions about their own body and not have their government tell them what to do."
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The vice president's remarks were made during her fourth campaign visit to the battleground state and drew attention from West Virginia independent Sen. Joe Manchin, a strong supporter of the filibuster. Although the former Democrat had indicated earlier this month that he would endorse Harris, he reversed his position due to her comments on Tuesday.
"Shame on her," Manchin said at the Capitol, CNN reported. "She knows the filibuster is the Holy Grail of democracy. It’s the only thing that keeps us talking and working together. If she gets rid of that, then this would be the House on steroids."
"That ain’t going to happen," Manchin said, regarding backing the VP for president in November.
Harris also said in the WPR interview that, "It is well within our reach" to keep a Democratic Senate majority and "take back the House."
"I would also emphasize that while the presidential election is extremely important and dispositive of where we go moving forward, it also is about what we need to do to hold onto the Senate and win seats in the House," Harris said.
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While Harris first said she would support ending the filibuster to reinstate Roe v. Wade era abortion protection in 2022, she has since made abortion a major issue in her Democratic bid for presidency this election cycle. She also supported ending the filibuster to pass the progressive Green New Deal climate legislation in 2019.
"With just two more seats in the Senate, we can codify Roe v. Wade, we can put the protections of Roe in law," Harris said in September 2022. "With two more seats in the United States Senate, we can pass the Freedom to Vote Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Act. Two more seats."
"You know, our President, Joe Biden, he's been clear. He's kinda done with those archaic Senate rules that are standing in the way of those two issues," Harris said of the Senate filibuster in 2022. "He's made that clear and has said that he will not allow that to obstruct those two issues. And, you know, for me, as vice president, I'm also president of the Senate.… I cannot wait to cast the deciding vote to break the filibuster on voting rights and reproductive rights. I cannot wait! Fifty-nine days."