Washington, D.C. – For years when asked about his stance on abolishing the legislative filibuster, Mark Kelly has dodged giving a straight answer to voters and reporters alike. Instead, he gives a variation of his intention to do what is best for Arizona – even though the majority of Arizonans support preserving the legislative filibuster.
On the other side of the coin, Arizona’s Kyrsten Sinema seems to be listening to what Arizona voters want from their senators as she stands steadfast in her support of maintaining the legislative filibuster. As Senator Sinema wrote in a recent op-ed:
Arizonans expect me to do what I promised when I ran for the House and the Senate: to be independent — like Arizona — and to work with anyone to achieve lasting results.
Lasting results — rather than temporary victories, destined to be reversed, undermining the certainty that America’s families and employers depend on.
The best way to achieve durable, lasting results? Bipartisan cooperation.
I understand bipartisanship seems outdated to many pundits. But the difficult work of collaboration is what we expect in Arizona. And I still believe it is the best way to identify realistic solutions — instead of escalating all-or-nothing political battles that result in no action, or in whipsawing federal policy reversals.
Since I was elected to Congress, a bipartisan approach has produced laws curbing suicide among our troops and veterans, boosting American manufacturing, delivering for Native American communities, combating hate crimes, and protecting public lands […]
My support for retaining the 60-vote threshold is not based on the importance of any particular policy. It is based on what is best for our democracy. The filibuster compels moderation and helps protect the country from wild swings between opposing policy poles […]
Good-faith arguments have been made both criticizing and defending the Senate’s 60-vote threshold. I share the belief expressed in 2017 by 31 Senate Democrats opposing elimination of the filibuster — a belief shared by President Biden. While I am confident that several senators in my party still share that belief, the Senate has not held a debate on the matter […]
But bipartisan policies that stand the test of time could help heal our country’s divisions and strengthen Americans’ confidence that our government is working for all of us and is worthy of all of us.
Instability, partisanship and tribalism continue to infect our politics. The solution, however, is not to continue weakening our democracy’s guardrails. If we eliminate the Senate’s 60-vote threshold, we will lose much more than we gain.
Much like Kyrsten Sinema, Mark Kelly pledged to be an independent voice for Arizonans. So, will Mark Kelly follow in Sinema’s independent footsteps to do what is best for Arizona or will he continue following Chuck Schumer’s lead to abolish the legislative filibuster?
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