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President Biden supports ending the filibuster rule to pass voting rights legislation, and calls Jan. 6 insurrection an attempted “coup,” Fauci says attacks by GOP Sen. Paul “kindle the crazies,” and more stories in politics.
President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris traveled to Atlanta on Tuesday, with both speaking on the subject of election reform, NPR reported.
The filibuster requires a 60-vote majority in the Senate to pass legislation.
Without the filibuster, the passage of legislation in the Senate would only require a simple majority. Within an even 50-50 split among both parties in the Senate, Vice President Harris could cast the tie-breaking vote for the majority Democrats.
“I believe the threat to our democracy is so grave that we must find a way to pass these voting rights bills,” Biden said in Atlanta. “Debate them, vote, let the majority prevail. And if that bare minimum is blocked, we have no option but to change the Senate rules, including getting rid of the filibuster for this.”
However, Democrats face opposition in their own party. Sens. Joe Manchin (D-WV) and Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ) have repeatedly opposed eliminating the longtime filibuster rule.
During his speech in Atlanta on Tuesday, President Joe Biden described the insurrection and breach of the US capitol by a mob of Trump supporters as an attempted “coup,” The Hill reported.
“To impose the will of the mob, to overturn free and fair election, and for the first time, the first time in American history, to stop the peaceful transfer of power,” Biden said. “They failed, they failed, but democracy’s victory was not certain nor is democracy’s future.”
“That’s why we’re here today: to stand against the forces in America that value power over principle, forces that attempted a coup, a coup against the legally expressed will of the American people by sowing doubt, inventing charges of fraud and seeking to steal the 2020 election from the people,” Biden added. “They want chaos to reign. We want the people to rule.”
On Wednesday, Senior Democratic senators announced they will unveil a sanctions package to be used to punish Moscow if Russia invades Ukraine, the Washington Post reported, saying the White House supports the plan.
In yet another clash between Dr. Anthony Fauci and Senator Rand Paul (R-KY), the White House chief medical advisor accused him of putting him in danger because of his personal attacks, The Hill reported.
“You’re doing this for political reasons,” Fauci told Paul. “All of a sudden that kindles the crazies out there.”
“I have threats upon my life, harassment of my family,” Fauci added.
Fauci said Iowa police recently arrested an armed man who traveled from Sacramento to Washington, D.C. in order to “kill Doctor Fauci.”
