Democratic New York Rep. Jamaal Bowman slammed Democratic West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin over his opposition to eliminating the filibuster and compared him to Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell.
Bowman appeared on CNN’s “New Day” to discuss Manchin’s stance on the filibuster, saying the West Virginia Democrat is doing everything he can to stop his party’s agenda from moving forward.
“Joe Manchin has become the new Mitch McConnell. Mitch McConnell during Obama’s presidency said he would do everything in his power to stop [then-President Barack Obama],” Bowman said. “He’s also repeated that now during the Biden presidency by saying he would do everything in his power to stop President [Joe] Biden, and now Joe Manchin is doing everything in his power to stop democracy and to stop our work for the people, the work that the people sent us here to do.” (RELATED: Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin Comes Out Against Biden’s Infrastructure Bill)
Bowman also called the filibuster a “Jim Crow, white supremacist relic.”
WATCH:
“Joe Manchin has become the new Mitch McConnell,” Rep. Jamaal Bowman says as the West Virginia senator tanks Democrats’ hopes of going it alone on their sweeping agenda.
“He’s doing the work of the Republican Party by being an obstructionist.”https://t.co/E5XYuYSBcr pic.twitter.com/9uFZhNBWfc
— New Day (@NewDay) June 7, 2021
As Democrats control the House, Senate and White House, there has been discussion about possibly voting to eliminate the filibuster. Abolishing the filibuster would allow any legislation to pass with a simple majority.
With Manchin coming out against abolishing the filibuster, it makes it highly unlikely it could happen, as Democratic Arizona Sen. Kyrsten Sinema has also said she will not vote to do so. (RELATED: Manchin Comes Out Against Democrats’ Election Bill)
Manchin published an op-ed on Sunday sharing his opposition to H.R. 1, a bill that would nationalize election laws, breaking with Democrats once again.