Padilla Suggests Discussions on Voting Against Infrastructure to Push Manchin on Filibuster Taking Place

On Tuesday’s broadcast of MSNBC’s “The ReidOut,” Sen. Alex Padilla (D-CA) suggested that there are discussions about refusing to vote for infrastructure legislation in order to pressure Sens. Joe Manchin (D-WV) and Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ) to eliminate the filibuster.

Host Joy Reid asked, “[Y]ou have maybe ten senators who want to keep the filibuster, they seem to be clinging to that more than they are to democracy. They don’t seem to have any urgency. They don’t have the urgency you just described. Why would you go along with voting for their infrastructure bill? Manchin really wants that. Why don’t some of you senators say, well, you don’t get our votes on your precious infrastructure bill that you need for your politics if you don’t give up the filibuster? Or why not say — there’s got to be something Kyrsten Sinema wants, other than to be on TV and mock her own base. Why don’t you say to her, you want my vote on this, you don’t get it, you don’t get your 50, you don’t get your special stuff unless we get what we want?”

Padilla responded, “I may be new to the Senate, but I ain’t new to politics. So, don’t think conversations along those lines may not be happening as we speak.”

Follow Ian Hanchett on Twitter @IanHanchett

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