How the Filibuster Pushes Republicans Further Right
Matthew Sheffield: “Not only has it made the federal government unable to address critical policy issues, it has also been the primary factor in keeping the Republican Party drifting further and further to the right. That’s because in a healthy political environment, parties advocating unpopular policies that somehow get elected pay significant political consequences if they try to enact them.”
“In the United States though, the filibuster has made it so that far-right politicians can get elected and stay in office for decades because their unpopular policies are never passed. As a result, instead of learning that voters don’t support their ideas and being forced to move toward the center, Republican voters have become increasingly radicalized by the fact that their legislators fail to make the conservative paradise of their dreams a reality.”
Quote of the Day
“I’m giving it thought… I managed to pass the first assault weapons bill. So it hasn’t been an impediment, that I have seen. Now somebody, for their bill, may find different.”
— Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), quoted by Forbes on the filibuster, apparently not aware that her assault weapons bill expired in 2004.
How Susan Collins Votes on ‘Divisive’ Nominees
Steve Benen: “Who can forget Richard Grenell, who was forced to delete hundreds of sexist comments from his social media accounts and who operated as a prominent online troll for far too long.”
“Care to guess which ‘moderate’ senator voted to confirm him? If you said Collins, you’re correct.”
“The point, of course, is that Collins seemed to have little trouble voting for ‘unusually divisive’ nominees in the Trump era, but under Biden, the Maine Republican has adopted a different set of standards.”
Where Each Senate Democrat Stands on the Filibuster
PBS Newshour details the position each of the 50 Democratic Senators has taken on reforming the filibuster:
- 24 want to reform the filibuster.
- 22 are open to reform.
- 2 are still deciding (Tom Carper and Mark Kelly)
- 2 are opposed (Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema)
Manchin Suggests He’s Open to New Reconciliation Bill
“A key moderate Democratic senator opened the door Tuesday to investing in President Joe Biden’s ‘human infrastructure’ proposals and unwinding some of the Republican tax cuts of 2017,” NBC News reports.
“Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV), who is working to ink a bipartisan deal to fund physical infrastructure, expressed openness to a separate filibuster-proof package to make economic investments, although he said the size and scope have yet to be determined.”
Said Manchin: “Republicans have drawn a line in the sand on not changing anything, and I thought the 2017 tax bill was a very unfair bill, and weighted to a side that basically did not benefit the average American. So I voted against it. I think there are some adjustments that need to be made.”
Infrastructure Compromise Stuck on How to Pay for It
Playbook: “Forgive us if it seems like Groundhog Day around here, but how to pay for $579 billion in new spending is still the big problem.”
“On the one hand, the two sides were reported to be drifting farther apart. John Thune, the No. 2 Senate Republican, sent reporters into a tizzy when he said the White House had retreated on backing an infrastructure bank, previously a bipartisan idea.”
“But the flurry of meetings — coming a day after Biden met separately with Sinema and Sen. Joe Manchin — also suggests a deep level of engagement and eagerness from both sides. It’s no surprise there were some hiccups. Tuesday was the first time the group of 10 senators met with the White House team.”
Sen. Mitt Romney (R-UT) was more optimistic to Bloomberg: “There are a number of pay-fors that we’ve been able to add to the list and I think we’re going to get there.”
Democratic Angst Grows as Filibuster Blocks Agenda
“Democrats are confronting the reality that absent any seismic shifts, their top agenda items face long, if not impossible, odds in the Senate amid growing frustration with the legislative filibuster,” The Hill reports.
“After achieving a unified government for the first time since 2010, Democrats pledged to go ‘big’ and ‘bold’ after four years of the Trump administration. But they are watching as their wish list of bills runs straight into a familiar buzzsaw: the Senate’s own rulebook.”
Senate Republicans Block Voting Rights Bill
The U.S. Senate refused to advance a landmark voting rights bill after every Republican voted against it.
The vote was 50 to 50, but needed 60 “yes” votes to allow debate to proceed.
FiveThirtyEight: Why Republicans won’t support sweeping voting rights legislation now… or anytime soon.
Manchin Will Vote to Advance Voting Rights Bill
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) he’s reached an agreement with Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) where Manchin will vote yes to open debate on the election overhaul bill, CNN reports.
That allows Democrats to stay unified on the bill even though it won’t survive a Republican filibuster.
Susan Collins Will Oppose Biden’s ATF Nominee
“Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) said she would vote against President Joe Biden’s pick to lead the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives on Monday, making David Chipman’s path to confirmation more difficult,” the Bangor Daily News reports.
Said Collins in a statement: “In recent years, Mr. Chipman has been an outspoken critic of the firearms industry and has made statements that demean law-abiding gun owners. Although he has the right to express his views, I believe this history makes him an unusually divisive pick for this important position.”
Manchin Won’t Say How He’ll Vote on Voting Rights
With just a few hours left before the Senate vote on whether to advance voting rights legislation, Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) told CNN he’s not made up his mind yet.
Said Manchin: “We are still waiting to see the final… I gotta make sure we are going to move to a better compromise… Everybody is working on it real good.”
Kyrsten Sinema Digs In On Keeping the Filibuster
Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ) reiterated her opposition to ending the legislative filibuster in a Washington Post op-ed, amid growing pressure from Democrats to change the rules to help pass voting rights.
Wrote Sinema: “It’s no secret that I oppose eliminating the Senate’s 60-vote threshold. … My support for retaining the 60-vote threshold is not based on the importance of any particular policy. It is based on what is best for our democracy. The filibuster compels moderation and helps protect the country from wild swings between opposing policy poles.”
Schumer Works to Keep Democrats United
“Chuck Schumer is confronting his most daunting series of legislative landmines in his young tenure as Senate majority leader, navigating conflicting demands from his left and his moderates — all the while facing wary Republicans after years of partisan brawling with the hard-nosed New Yorker,” CNN reports.
“So the voracious, 70-year-old New Yorker has been allowing Democratic senators to have their say, greenlighting talks with Republicans, holding a string of meetings with various factions to let them air out their concerns and trying to preach one overriding message: Unity.”
Said Schumer: “We all know we’ve got to come together or nothing gets done.”
Sinema Hit on Filibuster in $1.2 Million Ad Campaign
“A progressive group is launching a seven-figure ad campaign aiming to pressure Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ) to support abolition of the filibuster, as the Senate eyes a vote to advance major voting rights legislation,” NBC News reports.
“The group, Just Democracy, is spending $1.2 million for TV ads.”
Says the narrator in one ad: “As the GOP tries to silence our voices, she’s just standing by, supporting a Jim Crow relic instead.”
The Man Who Controls the Senate
Washington Post: Joe Manchin, at the apex of his power, finds few allies in his quest for bipartisanship.
New Yorker: “In another year, the prospect of losing two Democratic senators overboard in an ice storm might be greeted with a certain wry resignation among Washington’s political class. This year, it inspires panic, at least among Democrats: in a 50-50 Senate, the Party’s agenda is only one vote—or one heartbeat—from oblivion. Manchin, in particular, holds extraordinary power. As perhaps the Senate’s most conservative Democrat, he often breaks from the Party, which gives him a de-facto veto over a large swath of the Administration’s agenda.”
Rubio Wants Waiver for Naval Academy Player
Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) called on President Biden to grant a waiver to allow Naval Academy graduate Cameron Kinley to play in the NFL.
Senator Defends Membership In All-White Club
Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) continued to defend his family’s membership in the all-white private Bailey’s Beach Club in Newport, GoLocalProv reports.
Said Whitehouse: “It’s a long tradition in Rhode Island and there are many of them and I think we just need to work our way through the issues.”
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