A.G. Gancarski
In floor speeches Wednesday, U.S. Sens. Marco Rubio and Rick Scott slammed calls to end the Senate filibuster in order to get President Joe Biden’s voting rights priorities passed into law.
The speeches come on day after Biden called for an end to the filibuster for the purpose of passing voting rights measures. Consistent with the view of most Republicans, Florida’s senators see the Democratic gambit as a cynical power grab.
“Now look, if your daily routine is to wake up in the morning, turn on MSNBC as you ride on your Peloton, and get on Twitter as you drink your caramel macchiato, and then you’re reading the New York Times as you’re eating your avocado toast, I imagine all this makes perfect sense to you,” Rubio said.
He contended that many on the left see Republicans as “insurrectionists” seeking to “overthrow democracy.” Rubio took some time in his remarks to downplay the severity of the Capitol riot last year.
“I think almost everyone would tell you that what happened on Jan. 6 was a terrible thing and should never have happened and should never happen again,” Rubio said, but he added that “most normal and sane people” wouldn’t be convinced “that our government was almost overthrown by a guy in a Viking hat.”
“It isn’t about the Capitol riots. Everybody agrees the Capitol riots were terrible and shouldn’t have happened. I think, everyone does,” Rubio said, going on to say that arguments about “voting rights” were a pretext given American elections saw record participation in 2020.
“This is about power,” Rubio said. “About ramming through an election law to make sure they never lose power.”
Sen. Scott was no less emphatic in attributing motives, saying Democrats were devoted to “radically transforming this nation into a socialist state,” seeking to “jam through progressive, socialist ideas without any compromise.”
Recycling quotes from Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Majority Whip Dick Durbin, Scott said that Democrats once devoted to defending “minority rights” have gone silent, even as Democrats filibustered as recently as 2020 to kill Republican bills.
Scott said this “radical, dangerous bill to federalize elections” was intended to secure Democratic power in perpetuity.
“To change the filibuster will not protect democracy, but ruin it,” Scott added.
At least for now, Republicans have some Democratic support in opposing the end of the rule. Mavericks Kyrsten Sinema and Joe Manchin both want to maintain the filibuster, which requires 60 votes to advance a bill.
10 comments
Alex
January 12, 2022 at 3:47 pm
Tick-tock Republicans.
Your abused power to say no to everything is under threat.
You might have to actually think, work, persuade, deal, give, take and NEGOTIATE with the other side like the Founders intended.
How horrible for you!
Kathy
January 12, 2022 at 7:15 pm
The very definition of “filibuster” is to prolong debate and delay or prevent a vote on a bill, resolution or amendment. Woohoo! Do your friggin jobs and vote. It is unbelievable that this still goes on. Get a long winded politician to speak as long as he can to stop democracy is ridiculous. It is not like you can go back in the house when Uncle Jim won’t shut up at the family picnic. My Representatives (Scott, Rubio and Steube) are worthless and are artists at lengthy speaking about nothing and call it representing their constituents. Do your damned jobs, all of you.
Ron Ogden
January 12, 2022 at 8:21 pm
““Bottom line is very simple: The ideologues in the Senate want to turn what the Founding Fathers called ‘the cooling saucer of democracy’ into the rubber stamp of dictatorship. We will not let them. They want, because they can’t get their way on every judge, to change the rules in mid-stream, to wash away 200 years of history. They want to make this country into a banana republic, where if you don’t get your way, you change the rules. Are we going to let them? It’ll be a doomsday for democracy if we do.”
Sen. Chuck Schumer, DEMOCRAT, opposing a change to the filibuster rule when it came up a few years back.
Say, Dummies, if Schoo-Schoo didn’t want it then how cum he wants it know?
PeterH
January 13, 2022 at 2:07 pm
The ‘founding fathers’ had nothing to say about 60% majority voting or Senate filibusters!
RASS
January 13, 2022 at 8:32 am
Once again, Little Marco and Baldy use their Fix Entertainment “red meat” “you are all dummies” talking points to demean our great Country. The current US Senate rule 22 supermajority requirement was adopted in 1917 only after a long and sorted history of the ill-advised repeal of the simple majority rule in 1837. The first widespread use of the “filibuster’ was in the late 1880’s. Hardly “socialist”, Ricky. In fact, a strong argument can be made for the democratic principle of “the majority rules.” In the Senate, then, 51-50 with the VP voting to break the tie. There is no Constitutional basis for the current Senate Rule 22, apart from the power of that chamber to adopt it’s own procedural rules. In the “good ole days” at least a Senator had to occupy the podium and engage in debate to prevent a cloture vote: nowadays some lazy asshole can merely whine and keep the majority from voting on legislation. Maybe we can all take some time to inform ourselves about the history of the Senate rule and come together to figure out how to honor the principles of “one person” “one vote” and “the majority rules.” But, don’t expect Florida’s Senators to lead that charge; they simply pander to their “base” and try to get a slot on Fix Entertainment to spew hate and division. VOTE THEM OUT!!!!
PeterH
January 13, 2022 at 2:06 pm
Whine on Rubio and Scott.
You had the opportunity to screw the bolts to the Trump family and did nothing.
In the first time in American history you delayed a vote on Garland to serve on the SCOTUS.
You have no credibility!
Beth
January 15, 2022 at 5:26 am
Rubio and Scott warning that democracy is under threat? Are we supposed to believe they care about our democracy when they support traitor trump and his failed coup attempt? Neither of these bozos care about democracy and neither have done one positive thing for FL or the nation. Their one and only concern is lining their own pockets.
KwkRoss
January 15, 2022 at 12:37 pm
Little Marco and 1.7 Billion Medicare Fraud Rick Scott complaining about dangers to Democracy? That happened when these two Kooks were cheering on the Trump-GOP Insurrectionists running around looking for Mike Pence to hang..
What a disgusting characters…
just a comment
January 16, 2022 at 5:49 pm
In the old days we used to time a person doing the time crossword section on the train he finished it before his stop
I think Donald wanted a home run. But caught a virus instead I call it a filibuster
just a thought
January 18, 2022 at 10:57 am
insurrection was the common people.74 million i believe to be that is a lot of common people..democracy it is not called social class democracy what a boo boo
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