If you missed the drama on Friday, the federal government avoided a shutdown after passing a much-argued-over, President Donald Trump-endorsed continuing resolution. How we got there is the more interesting story, though.
Because Republicans only have 53 votes in the Senate, they needed several Democrats to cross the aisle, which was a touch-and-go proposition for a while. Just days before the cloture vote (which takes the passage threshold from 60 votes to a simple majority for a Senate bill), even Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) was signaling he wanted to shut the government down. Yet, in the end, he and a handful of others crossed over, citing that a shutdown would grant the White House even more power over the bureaucracies.
SEE: Dems Defeated, Shutdown Averted
Before that happened, though, many Democrats were demanding the filibuster be used to stop the CR. Why is that a problem? Because those same Democrats spent years calling the filibuster a “relic of Jim Crow,” with some even coining the term “Jim Crow filibuster.” They even made ending it a litmus test for their end.
Enter former Democrat Senator Kyrsten Sinema, who was essentially booted from her own party for refusing to blow up the filibuster. The hypocrisy wasn’t lost on her, and she woke up on Saturday morning and chose violence.
Change of heart on the filibuster, I see! https://t.co/q13rND50zC pic.twitter.com/dvkfVrSwJJ
— Kyrsten Sinema (@kyrstensinema) March 15, 2025
Just surprised to see support for the “Jim Crow filibuster” here https://t.co/zohOh0E5st pic.twitter.com/AWQKGHN9CG
— Kyrsten Sinema (@kyrstensinema) March 15, 2025
Glad to see you’ve joined the filibuster admiration club! https://t.co/EhBUutTbGY pic.twitter.com/gqBaOauG6P
— Kyrsten Sinema (@kyrstensinema) March 15, 2025
Oh. https://t.co/77syAXJI9q pic.twitter.com/l74ZIcZ3Th
— Kyrsten Sinema (@kyrstensinema) March 15, 2025
To give some more context, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) once called the filibuster a “cherished relic of segregation.” Barack Obama, while giving a eulogy, said that the filibuster was “another Jim Crow relic.” Then-President Joe Biden concurred, saying that he agreed with Obama’s assessment. I could go on for days with examples. The filibuster being “racist” was the talking point de jour right up until the moment Democrats thought it could benefit them again.
Sinema deserves this victory lap. She took an incredible amount of abuse from the left, including being harassed in the bathroom by protesters, for not folding to the short-term gratification of ending the filibuster. Had that not happened, she’d likely still be in the Senate today, as now-Sen. Ruben Gallego (who beat Kari Lake in 2024) likely never would have gained traction. Sinema only became an independent and exited the race because she saw the Democratic Party was not going to support her any longer.
As I’ve said many times, the filibuster is a good thing. It needs to be preserved because it’s the only thing stopping the country from becoming a socialist, abortion-on-demand, rights-limiting dystopia when Democrats hold power. Sinema held the line, and she lost her political career as a result. For that, I’ll always be grateful, and even though she’s still a liberal on most issues, she’s got my respect.
