Senator Kyrsten Sinema (R-AZ) angered members of her own party by continuing to support the 60-vote requirement for certain pieces of legislation, known as the filibuster.
The decision from Sinema and Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV), which has remained the same for months, stopped President Joe Biden and congressional Democrats from eliminating the rule.
The most frequent attempt for the change comes as President Joe Biden has failed to gather support for his Build Back Better agenda and “voting rights” legislation.
“I will not support separate actions that worsen the underlying disease of division infecting our country,” the lawmaker said in a speech on the Senate floor.
Sinema Delivers Senate Floor Remarks on Voting Rights, America's Divisions, and the U.S. Senate https://t.co/72zAFWDPjO
— Kyrsten Sinema (@SenatorSinema) January 13, 2022
“It is the view I continue to hold. It is the belief I have shared many times in public settings and in private settings. Eliminating the 60-vote threshold will simply guarantee that we lose a critical tool that we need to safeguard our democracy.”
Democrats, who used the rule under Republican presidents to block legislation, blasted Sinema for her decision and continued support of the provision.
According to Representative Maxine Waters (D-CA-43), Sinema and Manchin “don’t care about minorities” because they will not give members of their party unilateral authority.
“They have sent the signal. They have been clear about it. They don’t care about minorities. They don’t care about Blacks. They don’t care about people in their own districts who they’re going to deny their voting rights and undermine their voting rights,” Waters said in an MSNBC interview with Aaron Gilchrist.
Progressive Representative Jamaal Bowen (D-NY-16) labeled the Arizona legislator a “traitor.”
Hero: a person who is admired or idealized for courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities.
Traitor: a person who betrays a friend, country, principle, etc.
John Lewis is a hero, you are a traitor to his legacy, your constituents and our democracy. https://t.co/bS8PW6QwcB
— Rep. Jamaal Bowman Ed.D. (@JamaalBowmanNY) January 14, 2022
“Hero: a person who is admired or idealized for courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities. Traitor: a person who betrays a friend, country, principle, etc. John Lewis is a hero, you are a traitor to his legacy, your constituents and our democracy,” Bowen tweeted, attached to a tribute from Sinema to former Rep. John Lewis when he passed away.
— — —
Cooper Moran is a reporter for The Star News Network. Follow Cooper on Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Kyrsten Sinema” by Gage Skidmore CC BY-SA 2.0.
