Sinema Refuses To Budge On Changing Filibuster Rules

The Independent reports:

Sen Kyrsten Sinema ripped apart Democratic voters’ hopes of seeing changes to the filibuster that would allow voting rights legislation to pass in a speech on Thursday that reiterated her support for both the legislation itself and the 60-vote threshold that is keeping its passage an impossibility.

In a floor speech, the Arizona Democrat portrayed the Senate’s rule allowing members to block debate on legislation with a 41-vote minority as a necessary tool for safeguarding democracy in a time of unprecedented political divisions.

“I strongly support, and will continue to vote for legislative responses to these state laws,” said the senator. But, she added: “I will not support separate actions that worsen the underlying disease of division infecting our country.”

Read the full article.

Officially ending Dem hopes to gut filibuster to pass voting bill, Sinema reiterates her support for 60-vote threshold, saying it’s needed to protect “wild reversals” on policy

“I will not support separate actions that worsen the … disease of division infecting our country.”

— Manu Raju (@mkraju) January 13, 2022

BREAKING: “There’s no need for me to restate my longstanding support for the 60-vote threshold to pass legislation,” Sen. Kyrsten Sinema says one day after Pres. Biden announced support for changing filibuster rule to pass voting rights bills. “It is the view I continue to hold.” pic.twitter.com/h6TAnrJT14

— ABC News (@ABC) January 13, 2022

Sen. Kyrsten Sinema reiterates opposition to eliminating filibuster, probably dooming Democrats’ voting rights push https://t.co/gVMZdSP3SE

— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) January 13, 2022

Sinema singing the praises of the filibuster to a very Republican audience, including McConnell and much of the “moderate” cohort (Romney, Collins, Sasse). Durbin and Merkley, the latter taking feverish notes, are the only Democrats in attendance.

— Kate Riga (@Kate_Riga24) January 13, 2022