National Review
Sen. Sinema Opposes Eliminating the Filibuster, ‘Not Open to Changing Her Mind’
Senator Kyrsten Sinema (D., Arizona) is “against removing the obstruction and she is not willing to change her mind,” according to a spokeswoman for the senator. The spokeswoman’s comments to the Washington Post come as the possibility of voting to end the Senate’s practice of imposing a 60-vote limit on most legislation has moved to the forefront of talks, as Democrats have taken control of the House. , Senate and White House. Removing the obstruction would allow any legislation to be passed by a simple majority. Sinema joins Democratic Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia as well as President Biden in opposing the abolition of the obstruction. Although Biden said in July that he would “take a look” at the elimination of the rule depending on “how dire they become”, talking about Senate Republicans, he also added that “he did not support the elimination of obstruction because it was used so much. often … the opposite [for Republicans’ benefit], but I think you have to take a look at it. “Biden” has not changed his mind “and continues to oppose removing the obstruction, White House press secretary Jen Psaki told reporters on Friday. However, Senate majority leader Chuck Schumer said for years that “nothing is off the table” since Democrats have a majority in the Senate and has already said that Democrats “would do whatever it takes” to approve the policy. “Job number one is for us to get the majority. We don’t take anything for granted, but it’s looking better and better, ”he said over the summer. “As soon as we get the majority, we will discuss this in our caucus. Nothing is out of the question. ”Before the election, a growing group of Democrats signaled that they were open to the idea of ending the obstruction, including 18 of the original 26 democratic presidential candidates: Senator Elizabeth Warren (D., Massachusetts), Pete Buttigieg and Andrew Yang, who expressed support total, and Senators Cory Booker (D., NJ), Kamala Harris (D., California), Amy Klobuchar (D., Minn.), Bernie Sanders (D., Vt.) and former Rep. Beto O ‘Rourke (D., Texas) who said he would be open to the idea. However, with opposition from Manchin and Sinema, Democrats are unlikely to receive sufficient support to abolish obstruction. Meanwhile, Republicans, including Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell, have warned that removing the obstruction would cause lasting damage to the Senate. “This threat to permanently disfigure, to disfigure the Senate, has been the latest growing drum beat in the modern Democratic Party’s war against our government institutions,” said McConnell in September, according to The Hill.