McConnell Roasted for Claiming Dems Attempt to End Filibuster is ‘Genuine Radicalism’: ‘Didn’t He Do This for the Supreme Court?’
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Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) was called out for hypocrisy on Tuesday after he slammed Democrats for trying to end the filibuster to pass legislation as “genuine radicalism.”
“It appears as if the majority leader is hellbent to try to break the Senate. His argument is that somehow state legislatures across the country are busily at work trying to make it more difficult for people to vote. Of course that’s not happening anywhere in America,” McConnell said during a press conference.
“This, in my view, is genuine radicalism,” he added.
Many were quick to point out the McConnell himself, following in the footsteps of former Senator Harry Reid (D-NV), did the exact same thing when pushing through former President Donald Trump’s Supreme Court confirmations.
Bakari Sellers reacted to McConnell’s comments on Twitter, writing, “Didn’t he do this for the Supreme Court?”
NBC News’ senior national political reporter Sahil Kapur responded:
Correct. In 2017, McConnell and Senate Republicans triggered the nuclear option to eliminate the 60-vote rule for Supreme Court nominees. Four years prior, Democrats invoked it to abolish the filibuster for lower court and executive branch nominees.
Correct. In 2017, McConnell and Senate Republicans triggered the nuclear option to eliminate the 60-vote rule for Supreme Court nominees. Four years prior, Democrats invoked it to abolish the filibuster for lower court and executive branch nominees. https://t.co/XOhuncaV7g
— Sahil Kapur (@sahilkapur) January 4, 2022
MSNBC’s Chris Hayes also took a shot at McConnell, noting, “One of the very first things McConnell himself did in 2017 was to create a ‘narrow exception’ to the filibuster that allowed Republicans to confirm a Supreme Court Justice with a simple majority vote.”
One of the very first things McConnell himself did in 2017 was to create a “narrow exception” to the filibuster that allowed Republicans to confirm a Supreme Court Justice with a simple majority vote. https://t.co/Yovw6BFK49
— Chris Hayes (@chrislhayes) January 4, 2022
Former Red State editor Andrea Caruso said that Hayes is wrong to say this began with McConnell, arguing:
“Incorrect. Reid’s nuking of the filibuster for nominations attempted a carveout for Supreme Court nominations. That was untenable, proving McConnell’s point from 2013 that Democrats should not have done it and couldn’t limit it.”
Incorrect. Reid’s nuking of the filibuster for nominations attempted a carveout for Supreme Court nominations. That was untenable, proving McConnell’s point from 2013 that Democrats should not have done it and couldn’t limit it. https://t.co/KwLWZ37Dv9
— Andrea Caruso (@AndreaNRuth) January 4, 2022
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) doubled down on Tuesday that he too would use the filibuster ending tactic if Republicans again block voting rights legislation – for the fifth time.
