Manchin delivers blow to Democrats as he signals opposition to changing Senate rules to advance voting bill

Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia, the pivotal Senate swing vote, made clear on Tuesday that he remains deeply skeptical of overhauling the chamber's rules on a simple majority basis to advance voting legislation, a clear sign that a frantic push by Democrats to win his support to change the filibuster and pass one of the party's core priorities is likely doomed.

The comments from Manchin come as his party is launching a full-court press to pressure him and fellow moderate Democrat, Sen. Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona, to back changes to the filibuster that would allow Democrats to pass voting legislation.

Schumer has set a deadline of January 17 -- Martin Luther King Day -- for the Senate to vote on a rules change if Republicans continue to block the legislation. But Manchin and Sinema have repeatedly made clear they oppose getting rid of the filibuster, which sets up a 60-vote threshold that requires bipartisan cooperation for most legislation to pass in the current Senate where Democrats control only 50 seats.