Representative Adriano Espaillat said « much must be done to push these two senators to line up and be in lock-step with our leadership. »
Representative Adriano Espaillat, a Democrat from New York, said that Democratic Sens. Kyrsten Sinema and Joe Manchin « must face consequences » after declining to support President Joe Biden ‘s push for voting rights legislation. This week, Manchin and Sinema reiterated their support for the Senate filibuster—a rule that Biden and other Democrats want to change in order to pass voting rights bills—delivering a major setback for the president’s agenda. The filibuster requires lawmakers in the Senate to reach a 60-vote threshold to advance legislation. The Democratic majority only holds 50 seats in the chamber. In an interview with SiriusXM radio host Dean Obeidallah that was posted online Saturday afternoon, Obeidallah asked Espaillat: « If President Biden and [Majority Leader] Schumer cannot in any way motivate, pressure… Manchin and Sinema, can President Biden, do you hope he’ll use executive orders? Are there other things he can do to convey to our fellow Americans the importance of this, if we don’t have legislation? » « There must be consequences, » Espaillat responded.
