Chuck Schumer said he’s eyeing changes to the 60-vote filibuster rule to pass a pair of major bills that would expand voting rights nationwide. Via NBC News:
Schumer, D-N.Y., outlined a path for Democrats to change the Senate rules that require holding 50 of their 51 seats. The party expects to lose Sen. Joe Manchin’s seat in West Virginia but hopes to protect incumbents, including Sens. Jon Tester, D-Mont., and Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, in addition to seeing Rep. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., replace independent Sen. Kyrsten Sinema.
Manchin and Sinema, who are both retiring, in 2022 stood in the way of Democrats who wanted to change the filibuster, which requires a majority vote — or 50 senators plus the tiebreaking vice president. But that dynamic could change next year.
“We got it up to 48, but, of course, Sinema and Manchin voted no; that’s why we couldn’t change the rules. Well, they’re both gone,” Schumer told reporters here Tuesday during the week of the Democratic convention. “Ruben Gallego is for it, and we have 51. So even losing Manchin, we still have 50.”
