Democratic Sen. Kyrsten Sinema reiterated her support for the filibuster Thursday, announcing in a speech that she will not vote with the majority of her party for filibuster reform. Blowback against her position came swiftly online, where her action was called a “moral disgrace.”
“There’s no need for me to restate my longstanding support for the 60-vote threshold to pass legislation. There’s no need for me to restate its role in protecting our country from wild reversals of federal policy,” she said, referring to Democrats’ attempts to pass two elections bills in the face of unified opposition from Senate Republicans. “This week’s harried discussions about Senate rules are but a poor substitute for what I believe could have and should have been a thoughtful public debate at any time over the past year.”
Some online speculated she needed “some attention” Thursday while former MSNBC anchor Lawrence O’Donnell observed, “Sinema delivers the Senate’s stupidest speech by a Democrat in an edge of tears voice to give childish words a melodramatic effect.” Questions arose about why her staffers don’t resign in protest while others reminded readers she has not held a town hall for her Arizona constituents in three years.
Conservative writer Jennifer Rubin wrote, “Sinema is effectively asking the authors of Jim Crow and vote-rigging to give their permission for her to stop it. This is worse than incoherent or cowardice. It’s a moral disgrace. Ask the segregationists for permission to vote for Civil Rights Act?”
Washington Post Congressional reporter Mike DeBonis declared she had “[pluged] the dagger in Democrats’ voting rights push.”
For her part, Sinema posted the video of her remarks to her Twitter.