What Happened: Sinema and Manchin sided with Republicans, resulting in a vote of 52-48 against a rule change that would remove a 60-vote threshold for legislation such as the “Green New Deal” and a “voting rights” bill that would remove security measures from American elections.
Why it Matters: Joe Biden’s extreme agenda is now stymied in the Senate, which is evenly tied 50-50 between Republicans and Democrats. Manchin and Sinema voting against removing the filibuster leaves the longstanding rule alone that has been increasingly necessary for stopping radical legislation on either side of the aisle.
What People Are Saying: “We want the Senate to act today in a favorable way, but if they don’t, we ain’t giving up. I am too young to give up,” Rep. Jim Clyburn, the No. 3 Democrat in the House, told CNN.
“It’s pretty safe to say this is the biggest day in the history of the Senate,” Republican Senate Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) said. He congratulated the two Democrat senators’ “courage,” especially knowing “that in the very near future the shoe might be on the other foot.”
