Sinema takes revenge on Democrats over filibuster hypocrisy
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Former Sen. Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona, a Democrat turned independent, is taking revenge on Democrats who criticized her longstanding push to keep the Senate filibuster.
Why it matters: This week's Democratic campaign to shut down the government called for using the filibuster, which some Democrats spent the last few years arguing shouldn't exist.
Zoom in: The filibuster is a procedural rule that forces the Senate to have 60 votes to advance most legislation.
- Republicans have 53 Senate seats, but the filibuster meant they needed 60 votes to advance the government funding resolution that passed Friday.
- Back in 2022, Sinema and former Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia resisted calls to abolish the filibuster so Democrats could pass gun control, voting rights and abortion rights laws, despite only having 50 Senate seats.
- Both Sinema and Manchin started as Democrats, but left the Democratic Party while in the Senate.
Sinema resurfaced comments by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), who said Thursday she's feeling "outrage and betrayal" over Senate Dems not using the filibuster.
- Back in 2022, AOC said "we could protect Roe tomorrow, but Sinema refuses to act" to get rid of the filibuster.
- "Change of heart on the filibuster I see!" Sinema posted on Saturday.
Sinema also noted progressive leader Rep. Pramila Jayapal's (D-Wash.) demands for Schumer to filibuster.
