Sinema Backs Expanding Senate Filibuster, Receives Praise From McConnell

Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.) reaffirmed her support for the Senate filibuster on Monday at a joint event with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) at the University of Louisville’s McConnell Center.

McConnell praised Sinema, who blocked some of President Joe Biden’s domestic agenda but also helped pass much of it. The major Republican leader introduced Sinema as “the most effective first-term senator I’ve seen” and “a genuine moderate and a deal-maker.”

Sinema called for reinstating the filibuster for judicial and executive branch nominees. The Senate got rid of the filibuster for most judicial and executive branch nominees in 2013 under then-Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.); McConnell himself oversaw eliminating the filibuster for Supreme Court nominees in 2017. Sinema’s remarks came despite fellow Senate Democrats’ efforts to persuade her to help limit or eliminate the filibuster to stop Senate Republicans from blocking abortion rights protections and other major legislation.

Coverage was widespread and prominently featured in D.C.-focused outlets like The Hill (Center bias) and Washington Examiner (Lean Right bias), although major political outlets like Fox News (Right bias) and CNN (Left bias) appeared not to cover the story by Monday afternoon. Some coverage from the left focused on Democratic criticism of Sinema, and some coverage from the right highlighted criticism of that criticism.