Mark Kelly could be on the filibuster hot seat/Flickr
Opinion: It appears Arizona’s junior senator is about to be outed by his own party, forced to take an actual position on the filibuster.
By Laurie Roberts | Arizona Republic
Sen. Mark Kelly declined to comment on Jan. 4 about where he stands on the filibuster.
Sen. Mark Kelly’s days of hiding behind Sen. Kyrsten Sinema’s skirts soon may be coming to a close.
It appears Arizona’s junior senator is about to be outed by his own party, forced to take an actual position on a controversial issue.
On Monday, Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., vowed to force a vote on changes to the Senate’s filibuster rule by Jan. 17 if Republicans continue to block the Democratic Party’s bill to protect voting rights.
“Over the coming weeks, the Senate will once again consider how to perfect this union and confront the historic challenges facing our democracy,” Schumer wrote, in a letter to Senate Democrats. “We hope our Republican colleagues change course and work with us. But if they do not, the Senate will debate and consider changes to Senate rules on or before January 17, Martin Luther King Jr. Day.”
Mark Kelly could be on the filibuster hot seat
Given that Republicans have spent the last year trying to restrict voting rights at the state level, it seems unlikely that they’ll suddenly fold, allowing Democrats to enshrine voter protections into federal law … in advance of the all-important 2022 midterm elections, no less.
Did I say unlikely? I meant inconceivable, unimaginable and a downright laughable idea.
