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With the Democratic Party’s massive social welfare bill, aka “Build Back Better” hopelessly stalled, the party is looking to take advantage of the one year anniversary of Jan. 6 to shift gears and focus in their “voting rights” bill — a piece of legislation that if passed may ensure Democratic control of the White House for decades to come.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., announced on Monday that the Senate will soon vote soon on “easing filibuster rules in an effort to advance stalled voting legislation” that his party claims is needed to protect America’s democracy, ABC News reported. The tactical application of the term “easing” implying that Democrats aren’t trying to eliminate the filibuster — Sens. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., and Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz., have both stated they will not vote to end the filibuster.
In a letter to colleagues, Schumer said the Senate “must evolve” and will “debate and consider” the rule changes by Jan. 17, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, according to ABC News. Democrats are seeking to remove the 60-vote hurdle required for most legislation to pass in the Senate.
“Let me be clear: January 6th was a symptom of a broader illness — an effort to delegitimize our election process,” Schumer wrote, “and the Senate must advance systemic democracy reforms to repair our republic or else the events of that day will not be an aberration — they will be the new norm.”
“Much like the violent insurrectionists who stormed the U.S. Capitol nearly one year ago, Republican officials in states across the country have seized on the former president’s Big Lie about widespread voter fraud to enact anti-democratic legislation,” he claimed. “We can and must take strong action to stop this anti-democratic march.”
That Schumer will hold a vote on the filibuster knowing he may lack the votes given the upper chamber’s 50-50 split is the latest indication that he is being heavily influenced by radical left Democrats — U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., has been hanging a potential primary challenge over Schumer’s head.
The progressive left elements of the party called for Schumer to press ahead with a vote on Build Back Better to put pressure on Manchin, the key holdout on the bill, and a vote on the filibuster would achieve the same goal, singling Manchin and Sinema out for derision should they continue to hold out.
Robby Starbuck shared video footage Monday of a younger Schumer opposing the elimination of the filibuster, adding in the tweet: “Chuck Schumer admitted years ago that killing the filibuster is the ‘rubber stamp of dictatorship’ and a ‘doomsday for democracy’ that will turn America into a banana republic. Now he’s trying to kill it so he can ram through a bill to legalize voter fraud.”
Chuck Schumer admitted years ago that killing the filibuster is the “rubber stamp of dictatorship” and a “doomsday for democracy” that will turn America into a banana republic. Now he’s trying to kill it so he can ram through a bill to legalize voter fraud.pic.twitter.com/dJGaeocUbE
— Robby Starbuck (@robbystarbuck) January 3, 2022
Republicans have used the filibuster to successfully block the partisan voting rights package and since Democrats can’t get the 60 votes needed to advance the legislation, they hope to change the rules — precisely what Schumer is railing against in the video above.
President Biden has been hesitant to engage in the push to kill the filibuster, but he did tell ABC News’ David Muir in an interview last month that he supports making an exception to pass the so-called voting rights bill.
“If the only thing standing between getting voting rights legislation passed and not getting passed is the filibuster, I support making the exception of voting rights for the filibuster,” Biden said.
Writers and editors can be contacted at [email protected] with feedback, tips, or corrections.
Tom Tillison grew up in Maryland before moving to Central Florida as a young teen. It is in the Sunshine State that he honed both his passion for politics and his writing skills. Tillison also contributes to BizPac Review.
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