Senator Kyrsten Sinema and Senator Joe Manchin have sharply criticized Vice President Kamala Harris’s stance on eliminating the Senate filibuster to codify Roe v Wade, arguing it could lead to a future ban on all abortions nationwide. Harris, however, remains committed to ending the filibuster and securing a Democratic Senate majority to push for abortion rights.
Senator Joe Manchin, who previously switched from Democrat to Independent, announced he will not endorse Vice President Kamala Harris for president. This decision stems from Harris’s support for eliminating the filibuster to pass abortion laws, a stance that Manchin strongly opposes due to its potential to destabilize democracy.
Vice President Kamala Harris reiterated her support for abolishing the Senate filibuster to codify Roe v. Wade during a recent campaign visit to Wisconsin. She emphasizes the need to restore abortion access and secure a Democratic majority in both the House and Senate, highlighting the importance of the upcoming election.
A Republican faction in the Missouri Senate ended a lengthy filibuster on Thursday, allowing a vote on a $4 billion Medicaid program. The measure, which needs a second vote of approval, will renew a tax on hospitals and other medical providers to draw down federal funding for low-income Medicaid recipients. The vote followed a standoff between the Freedom Caucus, a GOP faction, and Senate leadership. The Freedom Caucus had been blocking the tax vote as leverage to pressure the passage of a bill to remove Planned Parenthood from the state’s Medicaid program and a constitutional amendment to raise the threshold for passing future amendments.
