Sen. Steve Daines of Montena, the Senate Republican campaign chairman, says Republicans need to regain the Senate majority to keep the filibuster in place.
Daines said this in a speech. event On Wednesday at the Ripon Society, a conservative think tank, Sen. Joe Manchin (D-Va.) and Kyrsten, an independent and former Democrat from Arizona who has voted for almost every other Democrat in the Senate. The people Mr. Sinema “saved” from the filibuster during this Congress.
The filibuster is a procedural measure in the Senate that requires 60 votes for most bills to advance to a vote.
In January 2022, Senate Democrats called for changes to the filibuster that would eliminate the 60-vote threshold required for votes on voting rights legislation, but Manchin and Sinema joined Republicans in voting against the rule change. Both men said they intended to be moderates in the Senate and opposed lifting the filibuster.
Daines said he had discussed the filibuster with Manchin on the Senate floor before Christmas, and Manchin suggested the filibuster would likely be lifted if Republicans do not regain the Senate majority in November. did.
“It's humbling to think about what could happen,” Daines said.
He argued that Democrats would seek to pass legislation that would make Washington, D.C., a state and overhaul federal elections, pointing to a bill the House passed when Democrats controlled the chamber.
He also said Manchin and Sinema likely won't return to the Senate next Congress. Manchin has already decided not to run again, while Sinema has yet to announce whether he will run in the competitive and expensive Arizona race.
Polls show Sinema losing in a hypothetical three-way race between Republican Kari Lake and Democratic Rep. Ruben Gallego.
Daines said Republicans have the “best map” to win the seat in a decade, but Republicans will face strong Democratic incumbents who “know how to win in red states.” admitted that it was. He highlighted the risks if Republicans don't take back the Senate in 2024.
“It's not just the laws that they've enacted that can be undone one day by a change in the majority, but it's done irreparable harm to the restructuring and power of this country, and it can never be undone, and It’s never going to be difficult,” Daines said.
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