Rep. Jim Clyburn 'insulted' by Sen. Joe Manchin's view on voting rights bill

By Teddy Grant Published: April 5, 2021

Rep. Jim Clyburn ‘insulted’ by Sen. Joe Manchin’s view on voting rights bill

FILE - In this Sept. 17, 2020, file photo, House Majority Whip James Clyburn, of S.C., speaks during a news conference about COVID-19, on Capitol Hill in Washington. President-elect Joe Biden brings more Capitol Hill experience than any president in decades. But his transition has stumbled, exposing the challenges of navigating Congress. “A strong belief that my dad drilled into my head: First impressions are lasting, and you don’t get a second chance to make a first impression,” Clyburn, the highest-ranking Black lawmaker in Congress and a top Biden ally, said in an interview Thursday, Dec. 17. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, File)

South Caroline Rep. Jim Clyburn criticized West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin on his major voting rights legislation position.

The third-highest ranking member of the Democratic Party leadership in the House said he was “insulted” by Manchin’s call for bipartisanship regarding the For the People Act, according to HuffPost.

Manchin supports parts of the reform package but said that there needs to a “bipartisan solution” for specific issues the bill tackles, including voting rights, per HuffPost.

“I’m insulted when he tells me that it’s more important to maintain a relationship with the minority in the U.S. Senate than it is for you to maintain a relationship with the minority of voters in America,” Clyburn told HuffPost interview. “That’s insulting to me.”

Manchin’s position comes when Republican legislatures around the country are advocating for and passing laws that limit voting rights, particularly in Black and brown areas.

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp signed into law a bill that would limit access to voting drop boxes, make giving food or drinks to voters illegal, sets up a fraud hotline, shortens the runoff cycle from nine weeks to four weeks among other things.

“Since when do their rights take precedence over your fellow Democrat Warnock, who saw his state just pass laws to keep him from getting re-elected?” Clyburn asked. “And you’re going to say it’s more important for you to protect 50 Republicans in the Senate than for you to protect your fellow Democrat’s seat in Georgia. That’s a bunch of crap.”

Clyburn wants Senate Democrats to change the rules for the filibuster to pass the For the People Act.

“The issue of civil rights and voting rights, these constitutional issues, should never be sacrificed on the altar of the filibuster,” Clyburn said.