""I want to restore the 60-vote threshold for all elements of the Senate's work," Senator Sinema..."

[demmiblue]

Link to tweet

The most influential Democrat you never hear from

Kyrsten Sinema's defense of the Senate’s age-old rules is likely to frustrate progressives eager to use every tool at their disposal to advance their priorities.

Kyrsten Sinema doesn’t often make big policy pronouncements. But when she does, Democrats had better listen.

Take the $15 hourly minimum wage that Democratic leaders want to add to a $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package. Sinema, who became the first Democrat to win a Senate race in once deep-red Arizona in 30 years, is crystal clear: She’s against including it.

“What’s important is whether or not it’s directly related to short-term Covid relief. And if it’s not, then I am not going to support it in this legislation,” Sinema said in a telephone interview this week. “The minimum wage provision is not appropriate for the reconciliation process. It is not a budget item. And it shouldn’t be in there.”

Sinema’s opposition is a blow to Democrats’ hopes of bumping up the federal minimum wage through budget reconciliation to avoid a GOP filibuster, complicating follow-through on a campaign promise from Democrats and President Joe Biden. And her defense of the Senate’s age-old rules is likely to frustrate progressives eager to use every tool at their disposal to advance their priorities in a Senate where one wayward Democrat can mean the difference between a policy breakthrough and utter failure.

https://www.politico.com/news/2021/02/12/kyrsten-sinema-democrats-468768

[Wounded Bear]

1. How democratic of her...

Requiring super majorities to do everything is NOT democracy. It is minority rule.

[mzmolly]

4. Minority rule, in a rigged

system.

[lagomorph777]

5. When can we primary her?

[JHB]

11. When we have a solid majority in the Senate...

...not a razor-thin one.

[Bettie]

40. SO, never

and, if everything required a 60 vote threshold, there would never be another piece of legislation passed.

[Pisces]

12. Are you from AZ? Do you know anything about her??

[lagomorph777]

13. No, and yes.

I guess we have to be patient, but we need somebody more reliable. Can't let AZ ruin it for everybody else.

[Demsrule86]

19. Are you serious. She hax to run in 22 and she barely won. In case you didn't notice

Arizona is a bit of a mess.

[lagomorph777]

20. Bummer. I guess we'll have to remove a few QPublicans to compensate.

[liskddksil]

22. Sen. Kelly has to run for a full term in 2022, not Sen. Sinema. All the more reason why I am

confused as to why Sen. Sinema seems to be doing everything to gum up the works when she is safe for another 4 years, which is a lifetime in politics.

[Fiendish Thingy]

26. But if Dems pick up enough Senate seats in 2022, Sinema can be exiled

Sent to the Steve King club, stripped of all committee assignments, or if enough Dems pick up seats, removed from the caucus.

If she obstructs Biden’s agenda, this term should be her last.

[trueblue2007]

29. PRIMARY HER NOW !!!!!

[Celerity]

39. she doesn't run again for almost 4 years

[Trueblue1968]

41. well then, remove heri'm a liberal. not a conservatite "demo"

[Trueblue1968]

42. get her outta the Senate.

[servermsh]

2. After Republicans packed the courts, she wants to allow Rand Paul to filibuster Biden's noms n/t

[irisblue]

3. I firmly disagree with her position.

off to learn why she feels this way.

[Trueblue1968]

43. i can't write my opinion, i would get in trouble.

[2naSalit]

6. Oh...

She's becoming a disappointment.

[Autumn]

7. In other words, she wants nothing to get done unless it's what Republicans want.

Noted.

[Kid Berwyn]

16. By Jove, I think you've got it!

Heads, they rule.

Tails, they rule.

[Hassin Bin Sober]

30. At least she doesn't have an "I" next to her name. Right?

[Autumn]

36. Right. But the best we can do

[DFW]

8. I seem to recall her being an outspoken proponent of this while the Republicans held the majority

Umm, oops, no I don't.

Is she looking for headlines, or just power? Or is she just waiting for the right moment to switch parties? Maybe someone has a villa in Scottsdale for sale at $2 million under market under the "right" circumstances?

[harumph]

15. It's come to that hasn't it? Hard not to become cynical about these "positions."

[DeminPennswoods]

9. She should be informed of the history of the filibuster

as it was used to block civil rights. The same civil rights that have expanded over the years to include sexual orientation. Further, in America, it's majority rules, not "super majority" rules.

[KarenS]

10. she is a true DINO,,,, I will support any Dem that Primaries her. n/t

[LonePirate]

17. The press needs to ask her why she doesn't want bills to pass/work to get done if she supports this.

[jalan48]

18. So, this is what the people of Arizona are concerned about? Is this what she hears when she holds

town halls or receives communications from the voters? In the middle of a pandemic with millions out of work the good people of Arizona are screaming "Restore the 60 vote threshold!!"? Who is she really representing here?

[lagomorph777]

21. +1 "Save the Filibuster!" It's hardly a rallying cry.

[jalan48]

24. My guess is that she wants to say the right things but not actually have to deliver when it comes to

voting. Darn, I supported that bill but we just couldn't get the 60 votes we needed because those bad Republicans blocked it.

[dsc]

23. It isn't a restoration

We used to pass laws and approve even controversial appointees with simple majorities. And no, I am not talking about when we used to use quill pens and burn whale oil. In 1991, Clarence Thomas got on the Supreme Court with 52 votes. No one thought filibustering his nomination was a good idea. Similarly, Roberta Actenberg was approved on a majority vote, even Helms didn't think filibustering a nominee was acceptable behavior. The assault weapons ban passed in 1994 with less than 60 votes. Filibusters weren't used anything like they are now. It didn't take 60 votes to name a GD postoffice.

[Fiendish Thingy]

25. Make her vote be the only vote blocking Biden's agenda- then put up billboards in AZ

VP Harris needs to schedule some interviews with local AZ media.

Take the gloves off.

No mercy.

[Midnight Writer]

27. The Senate is already tilted for Republicans. Montana gets two Senators, California gets two.

That alone protects the minority party in the Senate.

Adding the 60 vote threshold means the party that got tens of millions fewer votes controls the Senate.

That is nonsense.

[maxrandb]

28. She'll do what a majority of her constituents want

That's what needs to happen. Arizona just elected a Democratic President and a Democratic Senator in 2020. Kelly's race wasn't even that close.

Does she think she beats a Retrumplican without massive support from Democrats?

If enough people...and I am talking Arizona voters, contact her and push her, she'll listen to them.

[Wounded Bear]

31. Yeah, time to crank up the campaign in AZ...nt

[TeamPooka]

32. There's nothing else like an Anti-Democratic Democrat.

[ananda]

33. How much of a Democrat is she..

on a scale of 0 to 1?

[StarfishSaver]

34. "Democrats had better listen."

No, I don't think so.

[vercetti2021]

35. What a huge disappointment she's become

2018 I was actually very happy she had won but it's just turning into a fucking joke. Her and Manchin need to figure out they don't work just for their states, they work for all of us God dammit

[demmiblue]

37. A couple of past tweets:

Link to tweet

Link to tweet

[LiberalFighter]

38. Stupid! I'm going to call her racist too considering the history of the filibuster.