The Senate's filibuster is in increasingly serious trouble with the upcoming departure of Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, I-Ariz., one of the procedure's biggest defenders in the Democratic Caucus, Politico reported Wednesday.
The publication pointed out Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., another big backer of the filibuster, is also leaving.
This comes at the same time that Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., — who made multiple bipartisan deals with Sinema and Manchin in recent years and sought to raise the debt ceiling so the two moderates would not vote to change the filibuster rules — is stepping down from his leadership position.
Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., expressed the view of many Democrats when she said, "it's time to get rid of the filibuster."
"The filibuster has been anti-Democratic and has done a whole lot more harm than good," Warren continued. "If [Republicans] have legislation they wanted to pass and the filibuster stood in the way? The filibuster would be toast. It's total politics."
If Republican senators have good elections results this coming November, Politico reported, McConnell's successor could easily face intense pressure from Donald Trump, if he wins the White House, and his allies to get rid of the rule, which is what he pressed the upper chamber to do in his first term.
"It's going to be up to us, and for sure whoever the leader is, to defend the institution and the role the Senate plays constitutionally," Senate Minority Whip John Thune, R-S.D., who is running against Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, in the leader race, said. "We've got to make sure, if we get the majority, that we have a majority of Republicans committed to its defense."
Brian Freeman ✉
Brian Freeman, a Newsmax writer based in Israel, has more than three decades writing and editing about culture and politics for newspapers, online and television.
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