(CNS News) -- Although many Senate Democrats reportedly want to end the filibuster rule -- which allows senators to keep talking and stall legislation -- they need 50 votes (plus Vice President Harris' tiebreaker vote) to overturn it. Democratic Sens. Joe Manchin (W.Va.) and Kyrsten Sinema (Ariz.) have made it abundantly clear that they fully support the filibuster.
With the filibuster, it will be very difficult for President Biden to pass some of his policy agenda because the 50-50 Senate would have to muster 60 votes to stop a filibuster, which is not likely given the even split in the upper chamber.
On top of the opposition from Manchin and Sinema, new polls show that voters in their states support the filibuster, and would be less likely to vote to re-elect Manchin and Sinema, if they voted to end the rule.
In the West Virginia poll, conducted by the non-profit Foundation for Government Accountability (FGA), likely West Virginia voters were asked, "The filibuster, as it is currently used, is a parliamentary tool used by both Republicans and Democrats in the United States Senate for more than a century as a way to delay or stop a vote on controversial legislation by requiring more votes than just a simple majority. The number required to end a filibuster is currently 60 out of 100 senators, meaning the legislation would then have to receive bipartisan support in order to pass. Generally speaking, do you support or oppose the Senate filibuster?"
In response, 52% said they support the Senate filibuster, 32% said they oppose it, and 16% said they were unsure.
The same question was asked of Arizona's like voters and 53% said they support the filibuster, 33% said they oppose it, and 14% said they were unsure.
A second question was asked, "Would you support or oppose ending the filibuster so that President Joe Biden can pass more of his agenda into law?"
For West Virginia's likely voters, 40% said they oppose ending the filibuster and 38% said they support ending it. Twenty-one percent said they were unsure.
A third question, to both West Virginia and Arizona likely voters, asked that if Manchin or Sinema voted to end the filibuster, "would you be more or less likely to vote to reelect him?"
For West Virginia, 56% said they would be less likely to vote for Manchin. In Arizona, 53% said they would be less likely to vote to re-elect Sinema.
The Foundation for Government Accountability (FGA) is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization. The FGA "is a non-partisan, non-profit organization that helps millions achieve the American dream by improving welfare, work, health care policy, and election integrity in the states and in Washington, D.C.," according to its website.