Psaki Dodges Question On If Biden Would Support ‘Filibuster Exception’ For Multiple Dem Issues

On Thursday, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki was asked about a recent interview in which President Joe Biden talked about filibuster reform as it pertained to voting rights legislation.

During the interview on Wednesday, ABC News’ David Muir asked Biden: “Are you prepared to support fundamental changes in the Senate rules to get this done?”

Biden said, “Yes.” Muir then asked the president what he meant. Biden responded by saying: “That means whatever it takes.”

After Muir pressed further, the president replied:

I don’t think we may have to go that far. … [If] the only thing standing between getting voting rights legislation passed and not getting passed is the filibuster, I support making the exception of voting rights for the filibuster.

During the presser, a reporter asked Psaki about the exchange.

“I’m curious how the White House is going to deal with the slippery slope issue,” the reporter said. “We obviously already sidestepped the filibuster for the debt ceiling. What is the president going to say to Democrats who say, ‘If voting rights is important enough for a filibuster exception, you know, why not gun violence, why not climate change or immigration’?”

Psaki replied, saying that the president is “happy to have that conversation with Democrats,” and that such a conversation is expected in the next year. She continued, noting that Biden was asked “about voting rights specifically” as it pertains to the filibuster, that he said “he doesn’t think we’ll have to go that far,” but that he does support “making the exception of voting rights for the filibuster.”

I think the key piece we know at this point in time, which you know, is there aren’t enough votes to change the Senate rules at this point in time. There are different ranges of options they’re discussing in terms of rule changes, and we’ll see where that ends up in January.

The reporter asked again: “So is the president open to also having a filibuster exception for those other Democratic priorities I mentioned?”

Psaki dodged, saying: “I’ll let the president speak for himself. He was asked a specific question, [and] I think he answered it pretty clearly.”

TRANSCRIPT:

REPORTER: Yeah, I want to follow up on Alex’s question on the filibuster. And I want to — I’m curious how the White House is going to deal with the slippery slope issue. We obviously already sidestepped the filibuster for the debt ceiling. What is the president going to say to Democrats who say, “If voting rights is important enough for a filibuster exception, you know, why not gun violence, why not climate change or immigration”?

PSAKI: Well, he’s happy to have that conversation with Democrats. And certainly, we expect that to be a part of the conversations that will be had in the year ahead.

The president was asked about voting rights specifically, on the filibuster specifically. He said, I would just reiterate, that he doesn’t think we’ll have to go that far. But he was very crystal clear in his — in his answer that he supports making the exception of voting rights for the filibuster, as was the question.

I think the key piece we know at this point in time, which you know, is there aren’t enough votes to change the Senate rules at this point in time. There are different ranges of options they’re discussing in terms of rule changes, and we’ll see where that ends up in January.

REPORTER: So is the president open to also having a filibuster exception for those other Democratic priorities I [mentioned]?

PSAKI: I’ll let the president speak for himself. He was asked a specific question, [and] I think he answered it pretty clearly.

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