Sen. Joe Manchin Says He Supports 60-Vote Threshold for Gorsuch

By    |   Wednesday, 01 February 2017 11:59 AM EST ET

Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., supports a 60-vote threshold to confirm President Donald Trump's Supreme Court nominee Judge Neil Gorsuch.

The senator also spoke out against former Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid's push to eliminate the 60-vote threshold on filibusters in 2013, and the possibility that Democrats will attempt to filibuster Gorsuch's nomination.

"I've been opposed to the nuclear option. I thought Harry Reid was absolutely dead wrong when he did it, and I voted against that," he said.

Manchin told the Weekly Standard Tuesday that he will not join in a filibuster.

"With that being said, I think it should be a bipartisan vote. I think it should be 60 votes for our Supreme Court," Manchin told MSNBC's "Morning Joe" program on Wednesday.

"Let's give the man a chance. Talk to him. My goodness, don't shut it down before we even get started."

Republicans hold a 52-48 majority in the Senate.

"Two wrongs don't make a right," he added, saying he was "embarrassed" by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell leading the GOP in preventing former President Barack Obama's final Supreme Court nominee, Judge Merrick Garland.

Manchin also said he's not worried about losing his upcoming election, despite Trump winning his state by 42 points in the November election. He noted that former Republican nominee Mitt Romney also won West Virginia with a vast majority of the votes.

"My consolation is, if I get defeated, I get to go home. I get to go back to beautiful West Virginia. I'm fine with that. I can live with that," he said.

"In West Virginia they'll look at the individual, make a decision. And I appreciate that. And I really applaud my wonderful constituents back home. But with that being said, I didn't come here to say, 'oh my goodness, if I do this I might not get re-elected.'"

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Politics
Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., supports a 60-vote threshold to confirm President Donald Trump's Supreme Court nominee Judge Neil Gorsuch.
Joe Manchin, Gorsuch, Supreme Court
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2017-59-01
Wednesday, 01 February 2017 11:59 AM
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