Sen. Tina Smith
Tina Flint SmithSenator notes incompatible shoes at trial: ‘I had a lot to think about’ Energy of the Night: Biden Administration delays Trump’s reversal of migratory bird protections | Democrats seek to block new drilling in the Arctic | Democratic senator presses for clean electricity standard Democratic senator presses for clean electricity standard MORE (Minn.) On Friday, he became the last Democratic senator to call for the removal of the Senate obstruction.
“I made up my mind. We need to move this country forward, which is why I decided to express support for removing the obstruction,” said Smith on Twitter.
I decided.
We need to move this country forward, which is why I decided to go out in support of removing the obstruction.
– Senator Tina Smith (@SenTinaSmith) March 5, 2021
Smith on a Facebook post on Thursday, he said he initially supported maintaining the obstruction, but determined that he was an “enemy of progress”
“Without it, I thought, what would prevent a conservative president and Congress from doing terrible damage to women’s health, voting rights and civil rights,” wrote Smith of his initial position.
“But the more I thought about it, the more I realized that obstruction has long been an enemy of progress. In fact, it has been a highly effective tool to thwart the will of the people, ”she wrote.
Smith also criticized the argument that the obstruction protects the rights of the minority party against the majority.
“What the obstruction does is allow a minority of senators to simply say no to any idea they don’t like,” she wrote. “They don’t have to negotiate because they can stop anything. [Senate Minority Leader Mitch] McConnell [R-Ky.] he is the master of obstruction, but the big problem is that this is fundamentally anti-democratic ”.
Progressive Democrats have been pushing for Senate Democrats to end obstruction using Senate rules. The Senate had already eliminated the obstruction in the nominations and nominations of Supreme Court justices in this way.
But some Democrats in the Senate are opposed to removing the obstruction, so the 50 votes to remove it have not yet arrived.
Moderate Democratic Sens. Joe Manchin
Joseph (Joe) ManchinOvernight Defense: The Capitol Police can ask the National Guard to stay | Biden’s Pentagon Policy Nominee Faces Criticism | The aspirants of the naval navy moved to hotels. Progressives will not object to a bill on stimulus check limits. (DW.Va.) and Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.) Made it clear that he would not support the end of the obstruction.
Sen. Amy Klobuchar
Amy KlobucharHillicon Valley: YouTube will restore Trump’s account | Election project approved by the Chamber aims at foreign interference | Senators present legislation to create international technology partnerships Electoral bill approved by the Chamber aims at foreign interference Klobuchar, Murkowski asks the FTC to protect the data of victims of domestic violence MORE (D-Minn.) told Mother Jones in an interview that she would support the end of the obstruction to approve the right to vote and the electoral reform project HR 1, which the House approved on Wednesday.
“I would get rid of the obstruction,” Klobuchar told Mother Jones. “I have long been in favor of reforming obstruction, and now especially for this critical electoral project.”