MLK III calls Senator Sinema “Stubborn in Her Optimism” amidst Filibuster Debate

Martin Luther King III responded to the announcement Senator Kyrtsen Sinema will not support a change to the filibuster, reported The Hill. King III respectfully sat her down.

“History will remember Senator Sinema unkindly. While Sen. Sinema remains stubborn in her ‘optimism,’ Black and Brown Americans are losing their right to vote,” King III wrote in a statement via The Hill. Unfortunately (but as expected) Sen. Joe Manchin followed suit saying in a statement, “I will vote no to eliminate or weaken the filibuster,” via The Hill. The closer King Day arrives, the more the Republicans act out.

King III’s wife Andrea Waters King said Sinema’s defense of the filibuster supports the continuation of how systemic racism has woven into our legislature. “When the 1891 civil rights bill was filibustered, it ushered in 100 years of Jim Crow. If Senator Sinema’s position remains, she’ll extend that century of white supremacy’s chokehold on our democracy,” she said via The Hill.

From The Hill:

Sinema doubled down on her support for the 60-vote legislative filibuster on Thursday, saying during a floor speech, “I will not support separate actions that worsen the underlying disease of division infecting our country.”

She said she has had “long-standing support” for the filibuster, adding, “It is the view I continue to hold.”

“Eliminating the 60-vote threshold will simply guarantee that we lose a critical tool that we need to safeguard our democracy,” Sinema said.

Shortly after Sinema reaffirmed her stance on the filibuster, Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) followed suit, writing in a statement “I will vote no to eliminate or weaken the filibuster.”

Sinema and Manchin’s resistance to filibuster reform, though expected, dealt a blow to Senate Democrats who saw amending the procedure as a way to enact voting rights legislation amid GOP opposition.

The Hill reported that in order for the Senate to change rules, 50 votes are needed which means all Democrats must be in support of the decision. Additionally, Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer threatened to force through a vote to change the filibuster if the Republicans block voting rights legislation again. How will he do that? No idea but we appreciate the energy.

King III, regardless of the vote, plans to apply pressure for voting rights legislation along with grassroots organizations, reported The Hill. King III and his family will be in D.C. on Martin Luther King Day for the Peace Walk along with many other people who, again, must fight for an uncompromisable right to vote.

King Jr. didn’t do all that work for 20th century politicians to bring us back to square one.