Ex-Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (I-Ariz.) called out “Squad” Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) and other Democrats as hypocrites Saturday for pushing to use the filibuster to stymie a GOP-backed funding bill — three years after their party demanded its eradication.
“Change of heart on the filibuster, I see!” Sinema needled Ocasio-Cortez, who once lashed out Sinema for not bowing to left-wing pressure to scrap the tool, which allows the party in the minority to check the majority’s power by requiring most bills to receive 60 votes.
Democrats soured on it when former President Joe Biden was trying to ram through his agenda. He claimed in January 2022 that the filibuster was a relic of the segregationist era, appeasing lefties such as AOC who had long called for it to be scrapped.
Sinema and Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), who were critical swing votes in the upper chamber, stood up to their party’s base at the time, forcing Democrats to ditch the effort.
But many of those same staunch opponents of the standing Senate rules for passing legislation reversed course as GOPers were seeking to pass a bill to fund the government for the next six months.
“Just surprised to see support for the ‘Jim Crow filibuster’ here,” she swiped at progressive Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), reading her own words on Biden’s attempts to pass the voting rights package back to her.
She also chided former Clinton-era Labor Secretary Robert Reich, who took a swipe at her for trying to strengthen the tool, as well, celebrating his turnaround: “Glad to see you’ve joined the filibuster admiration club!”
Sinema also called out Silicon Valley Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna for pushing to “end the filibuster” three years ago, before flip-flopping and attacking Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) for not making use of it in the funding fracas.
“When the Senate Minority Leader sells you out, the only option is to take back the party & country with grassroots activists in blue and red disricts to stand up for the Constitution and our democracy,” Khanna (D-Calif.) said Friday.
“[S]tand up for the Constitution and our democracy,” Sinema quoted his words back to him, “#ohlookthefilibuster.”
On Friday night, she’d even asked X users to help her compile a list of the spineless pols.
“Who has made the spr[ea]dsh[ee]t showing: senators/candidates on record to eliminate the filibuster, same senators who voted to filibuster today, bonus points for add’l column listing April 7, 2017 signers of letter to [then-Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.)] saying preserve the filibuster,” she asked.
Ten Democrats — including Schumer — joined with 52 Republicans to break the filibuster on Friday and advance a measure funding the government at current levels until Sept. 30.
Ocasio-Cortez, who is rumored to be eyeing a primary challenge against Schumer, ripped the Democratic leader for declining to obstruct the bill as a partial government shutdown was set to take effect at midnight.
“There is a deep sense of outrage and betrayal,” she fumed to reporters about Schumer on Thursday. “And this is not just about progressive Democrats. This is across the board — the entire party.”
“Just to see Senate Democrats even consider acquiescing Elon Musk,” she also said of the move, “I think it is a huge slap in the face.”
