Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly announced today that he supports changing the Senate’s filibuster rules to pass changes to federal law to protect election rights.
Last week, his fellow Arizona senator, Democrat Kyrsten Sinema, said she would not support such a change to the filibuster rules. She and Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia are facing political pressure to support the changes and allow the legislation to pass by a simple majority vote, but as long as they hold firm, the legislation is unlikely to reach President Joe Biden’s desk.
Kelly’s full statement:
My year in the Senate has shown me how dysfunctional this place can be, and how that prevents progress on issues that matter to Arizonans. We’re seeing that now, as voting rights legislation remains blocked while partisan politicians work to undermine Arizona’s successful vote-by-mail system and create more barriers to vote.
As an astronaut and a combat veteran, I can tell you that if NASA or the Navy functioned like the United States Senate, we would never get the rocket off the launchpad and in combat we’d never complete the mission. Arizonans deserve a Senate that is more responsive to the challenges facing our country, which is why I’ve spoken with Arizonans and my Republican and Democratic colleagues about their views on what can be done to make this place work better. I’ve considered what rules changes would mean not just today, but years down the road, for both parties and all Arizonans.
If campaign finance and voting rights reforms are blocked again this week, I will support the proposed changes to pass them with a majority vote. Protecting the vote-by-mail system used by a majority of Arizonans and getting dark money out of our elections is too important to let fall victim to Washington dysfunction.
Whether the Senate fails or succeeds in passing this legislation, I will continue doing this job just as I promised Arizonans: delivering results by working with Republicans and Democrats to find common ground as we have on infrastructure, standing up to party politics, and staying focused on doing what is best for Arizona.
This article appears in Jan 12, 2022.
Last year a record number of ballots were cast in the election. So who was not able to vote?
In this past year thus far 19 states have enacted 33 laws that will make it harder for Americans to vote. Clearly the threat is for NEXT election…not the previous election. Goblowski …a typical low info/low IQ poster here.
No matter how hard they (Republicans) make it to vote, get out there and vote for individuals that won’t subvert the AZ results!
poor Wise-Guy, denigration is all you got? Must truly be hard to be you.
Thank you to Mark Kelly.
And boo to Kyrsten Sinema for her stand on this issue. Does she really think Republicans exhibit any kind of behavior resembling bipartisanship these days?
If Republicans are able to impose all of their planned strategies to oppress voting rights well, good bye American democracy.
Of course this Jackass would change the filibuster rules to pass an unconstitutional bill. If people would educate themselves what’s in this bill they wouldn’t want it passed. Biden and all his crones keep harping on how nobody can vote…who was not aloud to vote? I keep asking these retarded people that harp on this bill and nobody can give me an answer. Biden represented Delaware which has more restrictions than any other state.
Driving fear of the dimmer in society to believe any hoax they can conjure up. If it’s too hard to vote, how do they find food?