Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell dropped his obstruction of the Senate power-sharing agreement after two moderate Democrats said they would not vote to end the filibuster, NPR reports.
McConnell has refused to cooperate with Majority Leader Chuck Schumer’s bid to form a power-sharing agreement where the two parties have equal numbers of members, demanding that Schumer first agree not to end the filibuster.
A growing number of Democrats have called to end the filibuster to pass key legislation without Republican obstruction.
“Today two Democratic Senators publicly confirmed they will not vote to end the legislative filibuster. They agree with President Biden’s and my view that no Senate majority should destroy the right of future minorities of both parties to help shape legislation,” McConnell said in a statement on Monday. “The legislative filibuster was a key part of the foundation beneath the Senate’s last 50-50 power-sharing agreement in 2001. With these assurances, I look forward to moving ahead with a power-sharing agreement modeled on that precedent.”
Manchin, Sinema vow to keep filibuster:
The two Democrats McConnell referred to were West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin and Arizona Sen. Kyrsten Sinema.
“I do not support doing away with the filibuster under any condition. It's not who I am," Manchin said Monday. "I am not for busting the filibuster.”
A spokesperson for Sinema also said she was "against eliminating the filibuster, and she is not open to changing her mind about eliminating the filibuster.”
Schumer nears agreement:
Schumer said Tuesday that he and McConnell are nearing an agreement on Tuesday after McConnell “relented” and agreed to “exactly what Democrats proposed from the start.”
Under the agreement, both parties will have the same number of seats on committees but Democrats will chair them.
“The work must move forward, preferably with our Republican colleagues, but without them if we must,” Schumer said.
