Manchin Resists Calls To Scrap Filibuster To Push Through Gun Control

Democratic West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin resisted calls to scrap the filibuster while saying he supports tighter gun control following Tuesday’s mass shooting at a Texas elementary school.

Manchin called Tuesday’s shooting “just absolutely horrific,” according to The Hill.

“You all know where I stand; I’ll do anything I can.”

Manchin said “it makes no sense at all why we can’t do common sense things and try to prevent some of this from happening.”

Sen. Joe Manchin says he would do “anything I can” to move “common sense” gun legislation forward, but still refused to eliminate the filibuster to get gun legislation through the Senate, per @jessicadean pic.twitter.com/lrnfOA4egQ

— Ali Zaslav (@alizaslav) May 24, 2022

“It’s unbelievable how we’ve gotten to a society where someone could be this deranged and this sick,” he reportedly continued. (RELATED: ‘These Barbarians’: Scarborough Attacks Republicans, Manchin Over Gun Laws)

Manchin stopped short of supporting nuking the filibuster when asked whether he would consider it in order to pass gun control laws, however.

“The filibuster is the only thing that prevents us from total insanity. Total insanity,” Manchin said.

Eighteen-year-old Salvador Romas opened fire Tuesday at Robb Elementary School in Ulvade, killing at least 19 students and two teachers. A border patrol agent rushed into the school and found Romas barricaded, a law enforcement official who spoke on the condition on anonymity told the Associated Press (AP). The agent then fatally shot Romas, according to the report. The agent was reportedly injured though it is unclear how.