Adam Schiff: if voting rights bill doesn't pass, Republicans will rule for the next 10+ years

[Fiendish Thingy]

He said passing the For The People voting rights bill (which requires killing the filibuster) is a “break glass moment”.

He said it must be done this year, and waiting until 2022 will be too late.

Just now on Chris Hayes.

[FoxNewsSucks]

1. He's right.

We can kiss even this slim majority goodby if republicon thieves manage to keep their ability to block everything. If we can't vote, republicons will steal control and next time, they'll be able to keep it for decades or longer.

[FlyingPiggy]

2. I absolutely agree with him. They're trying now in AZ to suppress voting

On a state level. And I’m sure it’s not just here.

[SergeStorms]

25. Georgia...

and Pennsylvania for sure, probably many more on a slightly lesser scale. They'd steal the stink off shit if they thought they could.

[mucifer]

3. So do we have any hope if there is no filibuster reform??

[Fiendish Thingy]

7. Nope. Manchin and Sinema are holding the future of the party and the nation hostage.nt

[Sucha NastyWoman]

24. We need to recruit Sen. Lisa Murkowski

[Blaukraut]

4. Saw that. We already know this bill will die in the Senate. So now what?

What I would like someone to explain in detail what, exactly, the ramifications of decades long republican/minoritarian rule will be. How will it affect blue states? Red states? What, if any, is our recourse? I'm really starting to freak out about this.

[Mabadi]

6. In Georgia they want to limit voting on Sundays

Which is a day black voters usually vote en masse, driving large groups to the polls after church.

[Fiendish Thingy]

9. Schumer must force the nuclear option, and get Sinema and Manchin on the record re: filibuster

And if they vote no, they need to be punished swiftly and severely- my vote is for stripping them of committee assignments.

[uponit7771]

14. Can't they vote for changes to the filibuster which makes these assholes stand up and talk

... for days and months if needed?

[mucifer]

15. Gotta wonder if manchin and sinema are being bribed.

[SergeStorms]

27. They're both from...

predominantly red states. Who knows what wheeling and dealing goes on in republican chambers?

[Autumn]

5. Then we are fucked. Killing the filibuster will not happen.

Manchin, Sinema and Feinstein will never allow it.

[Fiendish Thingy]

12. Before we accept that we are fucked, we must force Manchin and Sinema to choose

By having Schumer use the nuclear option to force a vote on the filibuster- then Manchin and Sinema will have to choose between killing the filibuster and killing their political careers.

[Autumn]

18. To quote Manchin: 'Jesus Christ, what don't you understand about 'never'?'

He would leave the Dem party first, which would give it back to Mitch. There is no way we are overcoming those 3, one maybe but not all.

[SoonerPride]

19. They have already made it clear.

They will never end the filibuster.

Ever.

[DSandra]

26. That kind of thinking doesn't lead to any progress in society

LOTS of successful things happened because people persevered even when everyone else thought it could not be done. Democrats have to relearn that thinking damnit.

[SoonerPride]

29. Tell it Manchin.

He ain’t moving on the issue.

He has made that pellucidly clear.

[DSandra]

32. People who say that often use it as a bargaining tactic

I would not expect less from Manchin or most others.

[Polybius]

43. He just said "Jesus Christ, what don't you understand about 'never'?"

He’s not budging period.

[Fiendish Thingy]

53. Then he should be forced to vote on the record, and suffer the consequences. Nt

[DSandra]

55. He's well paid off, or he's really just a DINO who doesn't care about RepubliNazi rule

[DSandra]

28. What would Lyndon Johnson have done?

Lyndon Johnson was one of the most productive presidents in history, and was a senator before being VP and President.

[Fiendish Thingy]

38. He would kick some serious ass. Nt

[ecstatic]

8. They better get this done. Nothing else matters if they don't secure our future

voting rights. We came really close to losing everything last fall. I never want to feel that way again.

[uponit7771]

13. +1, can any one imagine if the kGOP got back into power ?! Anyone? The kGOP is still supporting

... Putin's Whore and tacitly supporting the underlining reason for the 6th.

The kGOP is some bullshit, we can do better

[Bettie]

10. Is there any chance to get it passed?

Or will it simply disappear due to the filibuster?

Can it be tacked on to an appropriations bill?

[Mabadi]

16. Zero chance

The problem is that we don't need a majority. We need 2/3 in order to defeat the filibuster. And we don't have 67 votes. We have about 50.

[ecstatic]

17. So there aren't 17 repugs who will go on the record to support voting rights

for all? And this is OK somehow?!?

[moonscape]

39. There weren't that many to

impeach a man who tried to overthrown the government, so no, they don’t worry about being in power for a decade or forever. That beats democracy which would toss them out.

[BumRushDaShow]

20. Changing the rule requires a simple majority or 51 votes (which we don't have for this)

and cloture is 60 votes (3/5).

The only thing that is 67 (2/3) nowadays is overriding a veto or expelling a member (including conviction in an impeachment trial).

[uponit7771]

11. HE'S RIGHT !! HR1 is more important than black lives mattering, gay lives mattering, womens

... rights, Climate change cause if we can't vote on any of those issues they won't change.

HR1 forces states to have a base amount of protections for voters because the house and senate can do such but not the president.

This is important, we pass HR1 we win in 2022 and we can change the country for the better

[BumRushDaShow]

21. The House is just starting on this bill now

since they just passed the George Floyd criminal justice bill...

The Senate is going to be a huge issue.

[gab13by13]

22. Democrats will never keep the House,

Here in Pa. Democrats always get more votes and end up losing seats and Pa. is going to gerrymander to make it worse and every Republican controlled state will do the same.

[CousinIT]

23. It won't pass.

NOT UNLESS SCHUMER GETS A SPINE AND DEMANDS THE END OF THE FILIBUSTER.

PRESSURE the hell out of him, Manchin and Sinema. On social media, via email, paper letters, phone calls.

[bdamomma]

35. We need to

put the pressure on, Schumer will stand firm. I hope.

But Manchin and Sinema come on, something stinks.....follow the money???

[electric_blue68]

41. Sorry. How many votes do we need to end the filibuster?

I will call my Sen Schumer again tomorrow (Thurs).

But people from the other States need to call theirs.
Manchin WV, and I don't know where the other Sen is from.

They ignore out-of-state callers, right? That's what I've heard for a long time.

[DSandra]

30. Question: Is this a break glass moment?

Is the future of the nation in peril so much that it is pretty much an emergency?

I would remind everyone that the filibuster is not in the constitution and thus was never intended as part of the parliamentary procedures of the two houses of Congress.

[bdamomma]

31. We

as a people and a country, are at another dangerous juncture.

Repigs will destroy this country, they do not have a plan, also they do not how to govern. They proved that.

[Ferrets are Cool]

34. K and R

[Generic Brad]

36. They would rule longer than ten years

If they get the reigns of power back, they will never let go. They will immediately change the rules in their favor and put the pieces in place to ensure democracy dies and they rule permanently. Ten years can be endured. Permanent oppression from the minority cannot.

[Jon King]

37. I don't get why their corporate donors would go along with this.

Mega corporations, multinationals, control the country and the world. They make gobs of money in America, regardless of who is in control. But they need a stable country. Maybe they make a bit more under Repug tax structure, but they still make tons under Democrats too.

If Repugs succeed in this level of minority rule, eventually society breaks down, and all these corporate lords, their kids, grand kids....their amazing cushy lives come to a halt. Their corporations can not function if over half the population is striking, or if the military is battling civilians on every corner. At some point the majority will rebel.

I get these Repug congressman want to stay in power. But they need corporate cash to get elected.

Why on earth will mega corporations allow them to destroy the entire society that gives them and their kids and family such amazing lifestyles?? At some point you would think the mega corps would want moderate Repugs over these nuts.

[dalton99a]

40. Kick

[Crunchy Frog]

42. I think he's underestimating the consequences.

If they seize power through undemocratic means, there's no reason for them to ever give it up again.

[uponit7771]

44. Right !!!! If the people who are sympathizing with a text book coup attempt get back power they keep

... it forever

[Crunchy Frog]

45. Probably not forever, but at least until the country is destabilized enough

that it breaks apart, or breaks down into civil war.

There's no law saying our country can't become another Yugoslavia or Syria.

[Mike Niendorff]

46. K&R

Fight now. Or else.


MDN

[Hortensis]

47. Well, the For the People Act (HR1), the John Lewis Voting Rights Act, and

the George Floyd Act were all passed by Democrats working late last night because the Capitol is closed for domestic terrorism today.

Enormous, monumental, historic work.

The purpose of the first is no less than preservation of our democracy, designed among many other things to keep Republicans from denying anyone their right to vote (like with those 253 bills they're rushing to get passed in 43 states before the midterms). One Republican voted for, making a little history, but he then corrected his mistake.

On to the senate for all of them, where they will be reconciled with the Democrats' senate versions, while Republicans try to eviscerate them, and go for the final votes to be passed into law. Whatever damage the Republicans manage to do can be fixed with future bills.

[Fiendish Thingy]

48. You clearly don't understand how the senate works- HR1, and all other bills will be blocked

By filibuster unless Manchin and Sinema agree to vote to change the rules.

HR1 will not get a floor vote if the filibuster survives.

There won’t be anything to “fix”, because there won’t be a final bill passed, unless the filibuster is killed.

[Mike 03]

49. That was the most important sentence I heard all day.

But he's being optimistic IMO.

If Republicans capture the legislative branch again, or the presidency and either the House or the Senate, they will change things so decisively that we never get another chance. The United States will be structured like Hungary or Poland. It really only takes moving a few pieces into place. And voter suppression does the rest.

All they really have to do is make this country ungovernable for 12 - 18 more months.

Damn these state legislatures! And Dems who vote "split tickets" for balance. (GO TO HELL!)

I love Adam Schiff for many reasons, but what he said last night was one of the most important things he's ever said.

[Fiendish Thingy]

51. Agree 100%- that is why, after COVID relief, HR1 must be top priority for rest of this year

HR1 is chemotherapy for the soul of the nation- everything else is just an ingrown toenail by comparison.

[lagomorph777]

50. Absolutely correct. We have to get Manchin and his pals out of the way. This is an emergency.

[ibegurpard]

52. Well it's not going to pass

We obviously don't have 60 votes to pass it and we don't have 50+ votes to do away with filibuster to pass it with simple majority so now what?

[Fiendish Thingy]

54. Force Manchin and Sinema to vote against it on the record, and suffer the consequences

We will see if they are willing to end their careers for their “principles”

If so, their careers will be buried in the tomb of the Unknown Senator, those who fought and died for a Jim Crow obstruction tool.