'It's the Filibuster or Democracy,' Say Progressives After GOP Tanks January 6 Commission

'It's the Filibuster or Democracy,' Say Progressives After GOP Tanks January 6 Commission

Bipartisan Illusions Dashed Again

As expected, Senate Republicans used the power of the filibuster to block consideration of the bill to create a bipartisan commission to investigate the January 6 insurrection at the Capitol. The vote was 54-35 in favor, with six Republicans joining Democrats in support. In the real world, that’s a healthy majority. But in the U.S. Senate, it’s not enough to overcome a filibuster. And if Republican senators, who were menaced right along with Democrats by the invasion, won’t display some bipartisanship on this one, we can forget bipartisan support for voting rights or infrastructure spending. The Republican offer to spend almost a trillion dollars on infrastructure, ostensibly meeting Biden more than halfway, is bogus. Most of this is money diverted from funds previously appropriated, such as relief for the states and unemployment compensation. This latest Republican blockage comes on the heels of a high-profile speech by former House Speaker Paul Ryan, warning, "If the conservative cause depends on the populist appeal of one personality, or on second-rate imitations, then we’re not going anywhere." He added that voters would "not be impressed by the sight of yes-men and flatterers flocking to Mar-a-Lago."