Politics

McConnell Says There Are Now ‘Assurances’ Democrats Will Not Abolish The Filibuster

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Henry Rodgers Chief National Correspondent
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Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell put the idea of abolishing the filibuster to rest, for now, mentioning the fact two Democrats confirmed that they would not vote to change the Senate rules.

“Today two Democratic Senators publicly confirmed they will not vote to end the legislative filibuster. They agree with President Biden’s and my view that no Senate majority should destroy the right of future minorities of both parties to help shape legislation,” McConnell said in a statement.

“The legislative filibuster was a key part of the foundation beneath the Senate’s last 50-50 power-sharing agreement in 2001. With these assurances, I look forward to moving ahead with a power-sharing agreement modeled on that precedent,” he continued.

Democratic Arizona Sen. Kyrsten Sinema will not support eliminating the filibuster and her mind “cannot be changed,” her spokesperson said Monday.

Since Democrats now control the House, Senate and White House, there has been discussion about possibly voting to eliminate the filibuster. Abolishing the filibuster would allow any legislation to pass with a simple majority. With Sinema coming out against abolishing the filibuster, it makes it highly unlikely it could happen, as Democratic West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin has also said he will not vote to do so.

“Kyrsten is against eliminating the filibuster, and she is not open to changing her mind about eliminating the filibuster,” a spokesperson for Sinema told the Washington Post on Monday.

Democrat U.S. Senate candidate Kyrsten Sinema participates in the pregame coin toss before the game between the Utah Utes and the Arizona State Sun Devils at Sun Devil Stadium on November 3, 2018 in Tempe, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

“I do not support doing away with the filibuster under any condition. It’s not who I am,” Manchin told reporters.

President Joe Biden has not changed his mind on D.C. statehood or eliminating the filibuster, White House press secretary Jen Psaki told reporters during a Friday briefing. (RELATED: No Changes: Biden Still Opposes Eliminating The Filibuster And Supports DC Statehood, Press Sec Confirms)

McConnell has continued to warn of the dangers of eliminating the filibuster, saying it would be detrimental to the Senate.

“This threat to permanently disfigure, to disfigure the Senate, has been the latest growing drumbeat in the modern Democratic Party’s war against our governing institutions,” McConnell said in September, according to The Hill. (RELATED: Even With The Filibuster, Slim Democratic Control Of Congress Keeps Biden’s Agenda Alive)

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer has previously said that Democrats would “do what it takes” to advance their policy initiatives, even if that meant abolishing the filibuster.