Democratic Sen. Kyrsten Sinema will not vote to eliminate the filibuster, and that position is unlikely to change.
“Kyrsten is against eliminating the filibuster, and she is not open to changing her mind about eliminating the filibuster,” a spokesperson for Sinema said on Monday.
The statement comes as Democrats grapple with a 50-50 Senate that could become an obstacle to President Biden’s agenda, causing some Democrats to float the idea of ending the legislative filibuster, which would give Vice President Kamala Harris the tiebreaking vote if a matter were to split down party lines.
Eliminating the filibuster could also help Democrats unlock some of the more controversial items that have been floated as part of their wish list, including statehood for Washington, D.C., and expanding the size of the Supreme Court.
Biden has said he supports admitting Washington, D.C., as a state, but he would not support ending the filibuster as a way to make that happen.
Sinema joins fellow Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin as having come out strongly against the idea of ending the legislative filibuster, two key votes that likely put the idea out of reach for those who support it.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell celebrated the apparent death of the idea, warning in a statement that eliminating the filibuster would be a mistake regretted for years to come.
“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,” he added. “With these assurances, I look forward to moving ahead with a power-sharing agreement modeled on that precedent.”
