Manchin ‘deeply’ disappointed over Cornyn’s filibuster flip

HUNT VALLEY, Md. (TNND) — Former Senator Joe Manchin expressed disappointment Thursday over Texas Republican John Cornyn’s flip on eliminating the filibuster.

Manchin, who opposed Democratic efforts to change the Senate’s rules in 2022, said in a social media post that Cornyn used to be the most supportive lawmaker of the filibuster. Cornyn announced in an op-ed on Wednesday that he supports reducing the number of votes to pass most legislation from 60 to 51, a simple majority.

“America was built on institutions designed to resist political convenience, not surrender to it,” Manchin wrote on X. “It’s deeply disappointing to see that Senator Cornyn is now willing to scrap the very rule he once praised and personally thanked me for defending.”

Cornyn said in his article that he would make whatever changes necessary to Senate rules to pass the SAVE America Act, a bill requiring citizenship proof to vote. Democrats have blocked it and other similar legislation from advancing.

“Process matters, but outcomes matter more: The Democrats’ assault on election integrity and national security must be stopped,” Cornyn wrote.

Senate Democrats have argued that the SAVE America Act would disenfranchise voters. It would also require photo identification when casting ballots and direct states to remove noncitizens from voter rolls.

“The SAVE Act is nothing more than Jim Crow,” Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said on Wednesday. “It could disenfranchise millions of American citizens – American citizens!”

The Brennan Center for Justice, a public policy think tank, found in a 2023 study that nine percent of Americans – more than 20 million people – didn’t have citizenship proof on hand.

President Donald Trump has demanded the Senate pass the SAVE America Act and threatened to stop signing legislation until he receives the bill. Cornyn, who is running in a competitive primary race that a Trump endorsement could influence, said in his op-ed that he supports the president’s push for the bill.

“The president has made the SAVE America Act his ‘number one priority, and he is right,” the senator wrote.

Cornyn has denied that he flipped his stance on eliminating the filibuster to earn Trump’s endorsement. Manchin, who became an independent in 2024 after decades as a Democrat, appeared to disagree.

“These extreme election-year politics that put party power over everything else are why Americans are sick and tired of the duopoly of the two-party system of Democrats and Republicans,” he said.

Cornyn will face Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who earned 1.2% less of the vote in last week’s election, in a May runoff. Polls show that Cornyn has a better chance in the general election against the Democratic nominee, state Representative James Talarico, than Paxton.

Have questions, concerns or tips? Send them to Ray at rjlewis@sbgtv.com.