Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders on Sunday supported the Arizona Democratic Party's censure of Sen. Kyrsten Sinema after she opposed a recent effort by officials to change Senate rules to pass voting rights legislation.
The senator was asked whether or not the rebuke on Saturday from Arizona's party's executive board was appropriate. In a simple response, Sanders confirmed his support of the move and said that it was "absolutely" appropriate.
Sanders vs. Sinema
Sinema was one of only two members of the Democratic party to vote against the changing of the Senate filibuster to create a carve-out to its supermajority requirement for voting rights bills. The other lawmaker was Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia and the two have voted alongside all Senate Republicans who oppose the proposal.
In a statement, Sanders said that the two Democrats were effectively allowing the GOP to restrict voting access in a number of states across the country. The Vermont senator said that it was crucial for lawmakers to protect American democracy. He argued that Sinema and Manchin undermined that effort and called what the Arizona party decided on the right choice, Politico reported.
Sanders argued that there were 19 Republican states in the United States that were undermining the foundations of American democracy. The senator said that they were hindering people of color, young people, and people with disabilities from voting and exercising their right to democracy.
In his interview with Dana Bash on "State of the Union," Sanders said that the country needed to stand up against the big lie of former United States President Donald Trump. The Republican businessman and his allies have repeatedly claimed that he won the 2020 presidential elections against Democrat Joe Biden despite no proof being presented.
In recent months, Democrats have become increasingly frustrated with Sinema and Manchin who have both continued to vote against the wishes of party leaders. The situation comes as Democrats hold only a slim majority in Congress, an advantage that they could potentially lose in the upcoming 2022 midterms, CNN reported.
Voting Rights Legislation
Sanders even went as far as accusing Sinema and Manchin of trying to "sabotage" Biden's Build Back Better and the voting rights legislation. The Vermont senator said that, on the other hand, the Republican party was "laughing all the way to election day."
The 80-year-old senator said that there were 50 Republican lawmakers who wanted to do nothing except criticize the Democratic president. He also said that Sinema and Manchin chose to work with the GOP instead of assisting the United States President.
During the same interview, Sanders said that Democratic infighting gave way to Republicans getting a headstart in the upcoming 2022 midterm elections. The situation comes as the GOP is already poised to potentially regain control of the House and Senate.
"What has bothered me very much is the Republicans are laughing all the way to election day. They have not had to cast one bloody vote, which shows us where they're at. And we have got to change that," said Sanders, Rolling Stone reported.
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