Sen. Sinema throws another wrench in Democrats' plans to pass major legislation before new year

Arizona Democratic Sen. Kyrsten Sinema has thrown yet another wrench in the Democrat’s plans to pass major legislation before the end of the year – making clear that she will not vote to change the Senate’s 60-vote requirement on most legislation.

But while Sinema has stood firm in her support of keeping the filibuster and has warned against a carve-out from the rule for voting rights, she has shown public support for the Freedom to Vote Act, which was negotiated with Sen. Joe Manchin, as well as the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, Politico reported.

John LaBombard, a spokesman for Sinema, noted that the Democratic lawmaker "continues to support the Senate's 60-vote threshold" which she believes will continue to "protect the country from repeated radical reversals in federal policy which would cement uncertainty, deepen divisions, and further erode Americans’ confidence in our government."

"Senator Sinema has asked those who want to weaken or eliminate the filibuster to pass voting rights legislation which she supports, LaBombard said, before warning that Democrats risk the introduction of legislation that could be “rescinded in a few years and replaced by a nationwide voter-ID law, nationwide restrictions on vote-by-mail, or other voting restrictions currently passing in some states extended nationwide” if the filibuster is eliminated.

Sinema’s stand couldn’t come at a worse time for Democrats, who are now coming to terms with the fact that the Biden administration’s Build Back Better bill will not pass before the new year – and that a viable path forward on election reform legislation is becoming increasingly difficult to navigate.

Talks between Biden and Manchin broke down earlier this week over a work provision within the child tax credit measure included in the American Rescue Plan (ARP). Manchin reportedly supported the work provision, while Biden and Senate Democrats opposed it.

Although the Build Back Better Act would only extend the child tax credit through 2022, many Democrats have called for it to be made permanent – a move that would have cost taxpayers close to $1.6 trillion over the next ten years, a recent analysis from the CBO found.

Republicans have noted that the bill could add a total of $3 trillion to the deficit over that same period.