On Wednesday, Arizona Democrat Senator Mark Kelly said he plans to vote alongside Democrat colleagues trying to change filibuster rules. Sen. Kelly was one of a few moderate Democrats that held off on blindly following the push to end the filibuster and made many question if he planned to follow Sens. Manchin and Sinema’s leads.
According to Fox News:
“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,” Kelly, D-Ariz., who faces a difficult reelection this year, said. “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.”
Kelly added: “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.”
The Arizona senator’s statement leaves Sens. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., and Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz., isolated as the only Senate Democrats expected to vote against nuking the filibuster. Manchin is expected to speak on the issue on the Senate floor later Wednesday. Sinema addressed her opposition to changing the filibuster last week.
“There’s no need for me to restate my longstanding support for the 60-vote threshold to pass legislation. There’s no need for me to restate its role in protecting our country from wild reversals of federal policy,” Sinema said on the Senate floor.
On Wednesday, Sen. Schumer is expected to try to change the Senate filibuster on a party-line vote using the “nuclear option.”