WASHINGTON, D.C.—The Senate Democrat move to get rid of the filibuster was defeated Wednesday night, as Democratic Sens. Joe Manchin and Krysten Sinema joined all Senate Republicans, including Sens. Rick Scott and Marco Rubio, in voting against (48-52) Senate Majority Leader Schumer’s last-ditch effort to push through a couple of controversial election bills.
Shortly after the measure was defeated, Sen. Scott told The Floridian outside the Senate chamber that the political posturing Sen. Schumer was making by trying to end the filibuster was because he was” worried about his primary against AOC” and that Democrats were only desperate for power and hypocritical to call for an end to the filibuster when they sought to defend it when President Donald Trump was in office.
“It’s Schumer worried about his primary against AOC. The Democrats want power, they don’t care. They’ll do anything they can to get power,” said Sen. Scott. These are the same people that when Trump got elected, 32 of the signed a letter saying that they can’t get rid of the filibuster.”
Sen. Scott added that “Everyone of them wanted to get rid of the filibuster” and that Democrats were “just power-hungry guys.”
“Think about the Democrat Party. It’s really the anti-Democrat Party. My grandparents were Democrats. They wouldn’t recognize this party. They don’t believe in Democracy anymore. It’s the anti-Democracy Party. They want to pack the Supreme Court, they want to get rid of the filibuster, they want to have federal takeover of elections,” concluded Scott.
Earlier in the evening, The Floridian spoke to Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA) about Sen. Manchin’s floor address in support of upholding the Senate filibuster.
“He hasn’t wavered on this. It’s the way many of us have felt,” said Sen. Ernst. If you get rid of the filibuster, you just don’t, you don’t see the level of bipartisanship.
Sen.Ernst added,” If it was a simple majority, our country would be in whiplash with laws changing every year based on the whims, and the political whims that are going on, and the Senate provides stability.”
Vice President Kamala Harris arrived about 30 minutes before the vote. Shortly after the measure failed, Vice President Harris stated upon exiting the Senate chamber, “We are not giving up. We will not give up.”
