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Kyrsten Sinema Has Some Words for Pramila Jayapal on Stating the Obvious About the Filibuster

Rebecca Downs
Rebecca Downs  |  November 14, 2024 4:30 PM

Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ), may be retiring and thus on her way out, but it's still worth reminding that she's been a stalwart supporter of keeping the filibuster. While Democrats had tried to nuke the filibuster for the 117th Congress in order to pass pro-abortion legislation and go with a federal overhaul of elections, she and another retiring Democrat turned Independent, Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia, stood strong. It's not even just Senate Democrats looking to get rid of the filibuster, but also radical leftist outside groups and some of the most radical leftist members of the House as well, namely Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA). She chairs the Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC) and has come under fire before, especially for spewing anti-Israel narratives.

Earlier this week, Jayapal and the CPC held a press conference to introduce their new members. There was also lamentations about last week's elections going in favor of President-elect Donald Trump, with Republicans also winning control of the Senate. Hours after Jayapal gave her remarks, Decision Desk HQ also called the House in favor of Republicans. Even Jayapal had acknowledged that her party's chances of winning control of the House was "slim."

During the event, a reporter asked her how she could square away her support for getting rid of the filibuster, given that it's her political opponents who have control of the government now.

"If we had had control of the trifecta and gotten rid of the filibuster to pass...  things that are passing on ballot measures that are so popular … then I think we would have built some trust with the American people," said Jayapal, as she claimed Republicans are those getting rid of the filibuster. "Am I championing getting rid of the filibuster now when the [GOP] has the trifecta? No. But had we had the trifecta, I would have been," she continued. 

She doesn't support getting rid of the filibuster now, when it's her party that's in the minority. Had her party won a trifecta, though, she still would have supported getting rid of the filibuster, "because we have to show that the government can deliver." It's truly a tone deaf response, not just about the filibuster, but about people depending on the federal government. She talked about how people are "bypassing their government" with their votes on state ballot initiatives but as something to lament, rather than to celebrate when it comes to the power of local governments or alternatives to government dependency. According to Jayapal, this is because people "don't feel like government, whether it's at the state level or federal level, is actually going to get them the things that they need."

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Jayapal also lamented how the existence of the filibuster when talking about her desire "to rebuild the party," especially with how bills might pass by a simple majority in the House, but not in the Senate due to the way the Senate operates with the filibuster.

Sinema chimed in with a "You don't say" when it comes to questions about how Democrats are no longer such a fan of getting rid of the filibuster now that Republicans are in control. 

The senator has made clear before that her support for the filibuster stems from how the opposing party could abuse their majority when they were in power. 

Given that Jayapal still would have been in favor of getting rid of the filibuster if her party was the one in power, she truly doesn't get it. 

It's also worth wondering what business House members even have to complain about the filibuster. It's an institution of the Senate. For Jayapal, or anyone else, to complain about how undemocratic it supposedly is, they need only be reminded of how the Senate used to operate. It wasn't until the 17th Amendment ratified in 1913 that senators were even democratically elected. It used to be that they were appointed by state senators.

Had Democrats held onto control of the Senate, depending on what their numbers would have been, the filibuster might have been gone, which would have brought on a whole parade of horribles for leftist legislation that could truly upend this country. Democrats running for Senate even campaigned on this, as was the case of Rep. Colin Allred, looking to unseat Republican Sen. Ted Cruz in the U.S. Senate race out of Texas. He went on to lose by about 8 points. 

As we also covered in May, there were radical leftist groups whose aim it was to attack the filibuster and transfer the U.S. Supreme Court to bend to their whim. Although he was ultimately booted from the ticket, Biden still announced how he planned to "reform" the Court, which has included term limits, an ethics code, and a constitutional amendment limiting presidential immunity. 

When it comes to those who were all too happy to attack our institutions, there's Brian Fallon, who had served as the executive director of Demand Justice, also went on to serve as the Harris campaign's communications director. 

Republicans indeed gained control of the chamber, though, and on Wednesday selected Sen. John Thune (R-SD), who currently serves as the Senate Minority Whip, to succeed Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) as the new Republican leader. They haven't had to select a new leader in 18 years. Thune made it clear on Wednesday, after he was selected, beating out Sens. Rick Scott (R-FL) and John Cornyn *R-TX) that he will protect the filibuster. 

Tellingly, Sinema also reposted posts and clips that Thune will indeed protect the filibuster.

Jayapal also made news earlier this week for a resurfacing tantrum she had during House Judiciary Committee hearing meeting in 2019 as she called out then the Acting ICE Director Tom Homan who has since been named the border czar under Trump. Jayapal had also complained about Homan and another pick for the Trump administration, Stephen Miller, during the CPC press briefing, claiming they had "disturbing histories."

As Homan reminded her, though, as Jayapal demanded that he "respect the authority of the chair," he respects the char's authority, "but you work for me, I'm a taxpayer!"