Dems can't get out of their own way....Sinema to stand keeping filibuster

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Sinema doubles down on filibuster support, dealing likely fatal blow to Dems' election bills
Sinema is a longtime supporter of the filibuster


Sen. Kyrsten Sinema said Thursday that she will not vote to weaken the Senate's 60-vote filibuster threshold, bucking her party leaders yet again and dealing a major blow to Democrats' election reform effort.

The comments, which match Sinema's long-held stance on the filibuster, are effectively the final nail in the coffin of Democrats' longshot effort to pass two elections bills over unified Senate GOP opposition.

"There's no need for me to restate my longstanding support for the 60-vote threshold to pass legislation. There's no need for me to restate its role in protecting our country from wild reversals of federal policy," Sinema, D-Ariz., said. "This week's harried discussions about Senate rules are but a poor substitute for what I believe could have and should have been a thoughtful public debate at any time over the past year."

She added: "But what is the legislative filibuster, other than a tool that requires new federal policy to be broadly supported by senators, representing the broader cross-section of Americans… Demands to eliminate this threshold from whichever party holds the fleeting majority amount to a group of people separated on two sides of a canyon, shouting that solution to their colleagues."

The House of Representatives passed a bill Thursday morning combining both of those original pieces of legislation: The John Lewis Voting Rights Act and the Freedom to Vote Act. But it won't get 60 votes in the Senate, which is split 50-50 on party lines.

Any changes to the filibuster would need all 50 Senate Democrats on board. With Sinema taking a hard stance in favor of the filibuster Thursday, it appears Democrats will not be able to get there.

"These bills help treat the symptoms of the disease, but they do not fully address the disease itself. And while I continue to support these bills, I will not support separate actions that worsen the underlying disease of division affecting our country," Sinema also said Thursday.

"Some have given up on the goal of erasing our divisions and uniting Americans. I have not," she added. "I've worked hard to demonstrate in my public service, the value of working with unlikely allies to get results."

It is not immediately clear whether Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., will still try to force a "nuclear option" vote to carve out an exception to the filibuster for voting rights. Such a vote would likely fail, but would continue to ratchet up pressure on Sinema, Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., and other Democrats who less vocally back the filibuster.



But pressure has not worked on those senators so far this Congress, and it appears unlikely to work this time either.

"Today marks the longest time in history that the Senate has been equally divided. The House of Representatives is nearly equally divided as well. Our mandate it seems evident to me work together and get stuff done for America," Sinema said Thursday.

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Former President Obama authored an op-ed in USA Today Wednesday that, once again, contradicts his previous take on the filibuster in the Senate.

As the Democrats attempt to pass their expansive voting overhaul bills through Congress, Republicans are being accused of holding up the line. The former president argued that for this reason, Democrats should clear President Biden's path and end the filibuster, which creates a 60-vote threshold to advance legislation.

"The filibuster has no basis in the Constitution," he wrote. "Historically, the parliamentary tactic was used sparingly – most notably by Southern senators to block civil rights legislation and prop up Jim Crow. In recent years, the filibuster became a routine way for the Senate minority to block important progress on issues supported by the majority of voters. But we canâ€t allow it to be used to block efforts to protect our democracy."



"Thatâ€s why I fully support President Joe Bidenâ€s call to modify Senate rules as necessary to make sure pending voting rights legislation gets called for a vote," he continued. "And every American who cares about the survival of our most cherished institutions should support the presidentâ€s call as well."

But Obama didnâ€t always find the filibuster to be an outdated tactic. In 2005, then-Sen. Obama of Illinois fought against ending the filibuster, arguing that Americans donâ€t expect political parties to "change the rules in the middle of the game so that they can make all the decisions while the other party is told to sit down and keep quiet." At the time, Republican President George W. Bush was in the White House and Republicans held unified control of Congress.

"If the majority chooses to end the filibuster, if they choose to change the rules and put an end to Democratic debate, then the fighting and the bitterness and the gridlock will only get worse," he said.

Obama opened his op-ed with mention of the late Rep. John Lewis, D-Ga., whom he had given a eulogy for in July 2020. The eulogy suggested eliminating the filibuster as "another Jim Crow relic."

Following Lewis†mantra that democracy isnâ€t a given, Obama stressed in the op-ed that the American people must "vigilantly preserve and protect our most basic tool of self-government, which is the right to vote."



"Now is the time for all of us to follow John Lewis' example. Now is the time for the U.S. Senate to do the right thing," he said. "Americaâ€s long-standing grand experiment in democracy is being sorely tested. Future generations are counting on us to meet that test."

[Beastdog]

Barry is a f*cking phoney and a first class liar.

[3rdgensooner]

The filibuster should be ended. January 2023 after the GOP takes the Senate. Just to eff with these aholes.

[davebucknut]

I love the filibuster most of the time and want to see it continue because it does mean that while most laws won't get passed, but also makes sure it is bipartisan.

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[Georgem80]

I have no problem with the filibuster, but this version is lazy. You can have your filibuster after you talk on the floor for 96 hours then you can ask for cloture vote needing 60.

Itâ€s not in the constitution, so original intent isnâ€t an issue. Itâ€s just too easy to vote against ending debate without actually debating.


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[davebucknut]

I have no problem with the filibuster, but this version is lazy. You can have your filibuster after you talk on the floor for 96 hours then you can ask for cloture vote needing 60.

Itâ€s not in the constitution, so original intent isnâ€t an issue. Itâ€s just too easy to vote against ending debate without actually debating.


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Yeah the 96 hour rule sounds nice because it would mean a debate on the legislation, but it's largely used for grandstanding.

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Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer will propose a talking filibuster in an attempt to persuade Sens. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., and Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz., to change Senate rules and allow a vote on the Democratic-led effort to overhaul the U.S. election system.

"If the Republicans block cloture on the legislation before us, I will put forward a proposal to change the rules to allow for a talking filibuster on this legislation," the New York Democrat said Tuesday after a meeting with Senate Democrats to discuss a path forward for the legislation. "Historically, changes to the Senate rules have been necessary to adapt to a change circumstances."



Standing in the way of the Democratic effort to eliminate the legislative filibuster is a united Republican opposition in addition to Manchin and Sinema, making it all but impossible to pass a change in Senate rules that could push the election overhaul legislation past the finish line.

Both Manchin and Sinema have resisted their party's push to do away with the filibuster in recent weeks and are still opposed to the plan to implement a talking filibuster, Fox News' Chad Pergram reported Tuesday.

Manchin emphasized his opposition to changing Senate rules ahead of the meeting, making clear he has not changed his mind on the issue.



"The majority of my colleagues in the Democrat caucus, they changed. They change their minds," Manchin said Tuesday. "I respect that. You have a right to change your mind. I haven't. I hope they respect that too. I've never changed my mind on the filibuster."

But Schumer had harsh words for those who oppose the Democratic push to change Senate rules and pass their election overhaul, arguing a talking filibuster would force those opposed to the effort to make their voices heard on the Senate floor.

"If Senate Republicans are going to oppose it, they should not be allowed to sit in their office," Schumer said. "They got to come down on the floor and defend their opposition to voting rights."


Schumer said that once Republicans have voiced their legislation, the Senate will move to pass it with a majority vote.

"I hope every senator will embrace this practical reform," Schumer said.

[Georgem80]

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer will propose a talking filibuster in an attempt to persuade Sens. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., and Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz., to change Senate rules and allow a vote on the Democratic-led effort to overhaul the U.S. election system.

"If the Republicans block cloture on the legislation before us, I will put forward a proposal to change the rules to allow for a talking filibuster on this legislation," the New York Democrat said Tuesday after a meeting with Senate Democrats to discuss a path forward for the legislation. "Historically, changes to the Senate rules have been necessary to adapt to a change circumstances."



Standing in the way of the Democratic effort to eliminate the legislative filibuster is a united Republican opposition in addition to Manchin and Sinema, making it all but impossible to pass a change in Senate rules that could push the election overhaul legislation past the finish line.

Both Manchin and Sinema have resisted their party's push to do away with the filibuster in recent weeks and are still opposed to the plan to implement a talking filibuster, Fox News' Chad Pergram reported Tuesday.

Manchin emphasized his opposition to changing Senate rules ahead of the meeting, making clear he has not changed his mind on the issue.



"The majority of my colleagues in the Democrat caucus, they changed. They change their minds," Manchin said Tuesday. "I respect that. You have a right to change your mind. I haven't. I hope they respect that too. I've never changed my mind on the filibuster."

But Schumer had harsh words for those who oppose the Democratic push to change Senate rules and pass their election overhaul, arguing a talking filibuster would force those opposed to the effort to make their voices heard on the Senate floor.

"If Senate Republicans are going to oppose it, they should not be allowed to sit in their office," Schumer said. "They got to come down on the floor and defend their opposition to voting rights."


Schumer said that once Republicans have voiced their legislation, the Senate will move to pass it with a majority vote.

"I hope every senator will embrace this practical reform," Schumer said.

All of this to set a dangerous precedent to pass a bill that is doomed when it reaches SCOTUS. Foolish.


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[ChinaBuck]

You know, what's good for the goose is good for the gander. Under the presumption the Pubs take the house in 22, wouldn't the Dems want to keep the filibuster for their purposes then?

[zigbee]

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer will propose a talking filibuster in an attempt to persuade Sens. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., and Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz., to change Senate rules and allow a vote on the Democratic-led effort to overhaul the U.S. election system.

"If the Republicans block cloture on the legislation before us, I will put forward a proposal to change the rules to allow for a talking filibuster on this legislation," the New York Democrat said Tuesday after a meeting with Senate Democrats to discuss a path forward for the legislation. "Historically, changes to the Senate rules have been necessary to adapt to a change circumstances."



Standing in the way of the Democratic effort to eliminate the legislative filibuster is a united Republican opposition in addition to Manchin and Sinema, making it all but impossible to pass a change in Senate rules that could push the election overhaul legislation past the finish line.

Both Manchin and Sinema have resisted their party's push to do away with the filibuster in recent weeks and are still opposed to the plan to implement a talking filibuster, Fox News' Chad Pergram reported Tuesday.

Manchin emphasized his opposition to changing Senate rules ahead of the meeting, making clear he has not changed his mind on the issue.



"The majority of my colleagues in the Democrat caucus, they changed. They change their minds," Manchin said Tuesday. "I respect that. You have a right to change your mind. I haven't. I hope they respect that too. I've never changed my mind on the filibuster."

But Schumer had harsh words for those who oppose the Democratic push to change Senate rules and pass their election overhaul, arguing a talking filibuster would force those opposed to the effort to make their voices heard on the Senate floor.

"If Senate Republicans are going to oppose it, they should not be allowed to sit in their office," Schumer said. "They got to come down on the floor and defend their opposition to voting rights."


Schumer said that once Republicans have voiced their legislation, the Senate will move to pass it with a majority vote.

"I hope every senator will embrace this practical reform," Schumer said.

All of this to set a dangerous precedent to pass a bill that is doomed when it reaches SCOTUS.  Foolish.


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it is foolish and the dems push the envelope on all issues as they are greedy for power.  I trust the American people.  None of what they have done in liberal states or at the national level has worked.

[Syncro]

You know, what's good for the goose is good for the gander. Under the presumption the Pubs take the house in 22, wouldn't the Dems want to keep the filibuster for their purposes then?

I assume that you don't mean this as a serious question. Even recent history shows they were against it, before they were for it.

Our government is an absolute joke.

[3rdgensooner]

When the GOP takes control in 2023 they should immediately move to end the filibuster. Listen to the Dems rage for a few days to get them on record for ads showing their hypocrisy then say just kidding.

[zigbee]

When the GOP takes control in 2023 they should immediately move to end the filibuster. Listen to the Dems rage for a few days to get them on record for ads showing their hypocrisy then say just kidding.

Hell, they've already got them on record wanting to keep it.

https://www.republicanleader.senate.gov/...er-pledges

[3rdgensooner]

When the GOP takes control in 2023 they should immediately move to end the filibuster. Listen to the Dems rage for a few days to get them on record for ads showing their hypocrisy then say just kidding.

Hell, they've already got them on record wanting to keep it.

https://www.republicanleader.senate.gov/...er-pledges

I know but they just have to eff with them some more.