Are Senators Manchin and Sinema in Mitch McConnell’s Pocket? You Be the Judge.
In January, 2021, Senator Mitch McConnell threatened to use the filibuster to prevent the start of the 117th Congress unless the Democrats promised not to change the filibuster rules. After several days of wrangling, on Monday, January 24, 2021 Senator Joe Manchin and Senator Krysten Sinema each stated publically that they would not vote to get rid of the filibuster, and McConnell took them at their word, and allowed the Senate to begin its new business.
Fast forward to December, 2021 and the Senate was faced with the critical need to raise the debt ceiling. McConnell struck a deal with the Democrats to suspend the filibuster on a one-time basis and enable the Senate to lift the debt ceiling with a simple majority. This legislation passed the Senate with the support of 10 Republicans and every Democrat in attendance, including Senators Manchin and Sinema. They were happy to make an exception to the filibuster rules to enable the debt ceiling to be raised by a simple majority.
During 2021 both Senators Sinema and Manchin expressed support for two voting rights bills, the Freedom to Vote Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, and have voted with their Democratic colleagues to bring them to the floor for debate. Senator Manchin actually took the lead in creating the Freedom to Vote Act as a modification to an earlier voting rights bill, the For the People Act. However, in both cases Republicans blocked the bills from advancing by using the filibuster rule which requires 60 votes to bring legislation to the floor. Both senators have continued to speak out publically in support of this legislation. However, Mitch McConnell is against it, and both Manchin and Sinema have repeatedly said they will not vote to change the filibuster rules in order to pass it.
Why would they happily go along with changing the filibuster rules when McConnell supported the debt ceiling filibuster rules change, but not be willing to allow a similar change in order to pass the two voting rights bills that they support, but McConnell doesn’t?
They faced months of organized and concerted pressure to allow these bills to pass from their constituents, faith leaders, fellow Democrats, and the President of the United States. Yet on January 19, 2022, they voted for the updated Freedom to Vote: John Lewis Act, and then joined 50 Republican senators who voted against a small temporary modification to the filibuster rules that would have enabled it to pass. This temporary change to the Senate filibuster rules was more important to them than voting rights for millions of U.S. citizens.
Are Senators Manchin and Sinema in Mitch McConnell’s pocket? You be the judge.
