Dodges questions on whether Biden supports impeachment trial or nixing filibuster
For the second time in two days, White House press secretary Jen Psaki, who promised “transparency” in the briefing room, refused to reveal President Biden’s position on critical issues facing Congress.
In her Thursday White House briefing, Psaki repeatedly dodged questions on President Biden’s stance on the Senate filibuster, which Republicans fear Democrats running the chamber may move to eliminate.
The new press secretary wielded a similar deflection tactic Wednesday as reporters pressed her for answers about Biden’s opinion on whether Biden supported an impeachment trial amid his calls to unify the country.
Both NBC News’ Kristen Welker and Politico’s Anita Kumar Thursday asked Psaki where Biden stood on the filibuster, the 60-vote threshold the Senate currently needs to end debate on most bills.
“I don’t think I heard an answer about whether the president supports keeping the filibuster, where he sits on that. Has he talked to Senator Schumer about that?” Kumar asked.
“The president has been clear he wants to work with members of both parties and find bipartisan paths forward,” Psaki said. “I don’t have any more conversations to read out for you at this point in time.”
WHITE HOUSE PRESSED ON BIDEN’S UNITY MESSAGE AMID TRUMP IMPEACHMENT PUSH
“That doesn’t specifically answer that unless I’m not understanding you,” the reporter pressed.
“I don’t think I have more to add to my answer,” Psaki said.
Psaki, in her debut as press secretary Wednesday, said Biden had asked her to bring “transparency” back to the briefing room.
With a 50-50 split Senate and Vice President Kamala Harris holding the tie-breaking vote, Sen. Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., has been trying to take nuking the filibuster off the table under a power-sharing agreement with Democrats. Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., has not obliged.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/psaki-bidens-stance-senate-filibuster