• Ranvier@sopuli.xyz
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      11 months ago

      You’re right, I forgot about that case. Though that was a weird one that didn’t hinge on those two, and was a one time deal struck with Mitch McConnell and ten other Republicans. And so would have been able to overcome a filibuster anyways. So the bill for the filibuster one time exemption had technically 61 in support, so was a bit of a fake exemption. It was a way for Republicans to vote in favor of raising the debt ceiling but technically they could say they didn’t, because the debt ceiling bill itself they later voted against (even though they had voted to lift the filibuster requirement from that bill). It was all optics. I doubt the Republicans would have allowed an insurrection act amendment to be tacked on.

      Manchin and Sinema also did oppose filibuster exemptions when it actually counted for many other things, including voting rights, abortion rights, DC and Puerto Rico state hood, among other democratic priorities.

      • burntbutterbiscuits@sh.itjust.works
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        11 months ago

        And Joe Biden never called them out on it either. In fact as they voted against so called priority after so called priority, Biden called them his good friends again and again.

        • Ranvier@sopuli.xyz
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          11 months ago

          He was trying to get them to go along with his plans? He was initially attacking them openly and got nowhere. Playing nicer worked in the case of Manchin. Manchin initially told Republicans he was done and wouldn’t work with Biden on a deal any longer. Then he came around and finally agreed to a $739 billion deal with Biden, including the most funding for climate change ever passed. I suppose Biden could have kept trash talking from the bully pulpit to make you feel better, but I’d prefer the hundreds of billions in climate change spending. I’m surprised Biden got anything through at all with Manchin and Sinema obstruction.

          We’re very lucky Manchin or Sinema didn’t just switch parties outright and totally kill chances of passing anything at all. It was a tenous situation. The pivotal senator switching parties and giving control to the other party has happened before in a split senate like that (50-50 Republican Democrat). Biden hurling insults at them wouldn’t have accomplished anything. He even tried it for a bit and Manchin just clammed up. You can bet the Republicans were offering both of them tons of benefits to switch.