Sen. Kyrsten Sinema stands by the Senate filibuster

Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz., is standing firm in her opposition to eliminating the filibuster. Sinema, who flipped the seat once held by former Sen. Jeff Flake, R, made the comments while speaking at an event hosted by Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., another fierce supporter of keeping the Senate’s rules as they are.

The former Congresswoman said not only does she support keeping the Senate’s 60-vote threshold, she also wants to restore it in places where it has already been eliminated like judicial nominations and executive appointments.

“So the importance of the 60-vote threshold is to ensure that no one gets everything they want. That you compromise. That you find that middle ground. And by doing so you are much more likely to pass legislation that stands the test of time,” Sinema said.

Sen. Sinema has diverged from her party on this along with Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va. Sinema said her view is based on the Founding Fathers’ intent for the two legislative chambers. She said the House was designed to pass things with a simple majority but the Senate was always supposed to be slower and more deliberative.

“When our forefathers created the House they wanted a body that represented the passions of Americans at that moment. But they tend to be a little bit over eager,” Sinema said.

Both former President Donald Trump and President Biden have advocated for eliminating the filibuster. Since the Biden administration began, Democrats have considered eliminating the filibuster to pass a voting rights bill and the entirety of the Build Back Better agenda. 

Some Democrats in Congress contend that they could end the filibuster if they win two more seats, giving them a 52-48 majority in the chamber. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., recently used the possibility of eliminating the filibuster as a campaign issue, saying it would allow Democrats to pass abortion legislation and codify same-sex marriage into law.