Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) said he was “absolutely wrong” for campaigning to eliminate the filibuster in 2022 because he now realizes that eliminating the procedural tactic would give the minority party “little to no voice.”Speaking on an episode of The Katie Miller Podcast, released Tuesday, Fetterman said he now believes former Sens. Joe Manchin and Krysten Sinema, both Democrats-turned-independents, were correct to oppose efforts to weaken or abolish the filibuster, the Senate rule that generally requires 60 votes to advance most legislation.“One thing I was absolutely wrong on … is that in my cycle in ‘22, we were running to eliminate the filibuster,” Fetterman said. “And we were so wrong, so wrong about that.” He added that Machin and Sinema had been “vindicated” by his change in opinion.
The filibuster became one of the most contentious issues facing Senate Democrats during former President Joe Biden’s first two years in office. In 202, Machin and Sinema joined Republicans in blocking a Democratic effort to change Senate rules and create an exception for voting rights legislation, effectively preserving the 60-vote threshold. Their stance drew sharp criticism from many Democratic lawmakers and candidates, including Fetterman.
