A bill to establish an independent commission to investigate the Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection failed 54-35 in the Senate on Friday, with just six Republicans voting in its favor: Sens. Bill Cassidy (R-La.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Rob Portman (R-Ohio), Mitt Romney (R-Utah), and Ben Sasse (R-Neb.). Democrats were six votes shy of the 60 needed to bypass a GOP-led filibuster, leading many to sharply criticize the filibuster and its role in the democratic process.
Voting rights reporter Stephen Wolf noted that the 54 senators in favor of the commission represent over 60 percent of the country.
Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) joined Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) in arguing that ending the filibuster is necessary to "protect our democracy." Former Rep. Beto O'Rourke (D-Texas) and Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) echoed that.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Going forward, Friday's vote could now place "further pressure" on lawmakers to reform and weaken the filibuster, "despite Sen. Joe Manchin's (D-W.Va.) repeated affirmation that he supports a 60-vote threshold to pass most legislation," Politico writes.
-
Critics’ choice: Watering holes for gourmandsFeature An endless selection of Mexican spirits, a Dublin-inspired bar, and an upscale Baltimore pub
-
Argentinian beef is at the center of American farmers’ woesThe Explainer ‘It feels like a slap in the face to rural America,’ said one farmer
-
‘Businesses that lose money and are uncompetitive won’t survive’Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Senate votes to kill Trump’s Brazil tariffSpeed Read Five Senate Republicans joined the Democrats in rebuking Trump’s import tax
-
Border Patrol gets scrutiny in court, gains power in ICESpeed Read Half of the new ICE directors are reportedly from DHS’s more aggressive Customs and Border Protection branch
-
Shutdown stalemate nears key pain pointsSpeed Read A federal employee union called for the Democrats to to stand down four weeks into the government standoff
-
Trump vows new tariffs on Canada over Reagan adspeed read The ad that offended the president has Ronald Reagan explaining why import taxes hurt the economy
-
NY attorney general asks public for ICE raid footageSpeed Read Rep. Dan Goldman claims ICE wrongly detained four US citizens in the Canal Street raid and held them for a whole day without charges
-
Trump’s huge ballroom to replace razed East WingSpeed Read The White House’s east wing is being torn down amid ballroom construction
-
Trump expands boat strikes to Pacific, killing 5 moreSpeed Read The US military destroyed two more alleged drug smuggling boats in international waters
-
Trump demands millions from his administrationSpeed Read The president has requested $230 million in compensation from the Justice Department for previous federal investigations
