Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell has agreed to drop his demands that the filibuster be maintained and adopt a power-sharing deal.
NPR reports: “Late Monday, McConnell said he was ready to move forward after two Democrats signaled they would not vote to end the legislative filibuster, assuring him that it would stay in place. … For now, Democrats and Republicans will operate on a power-sharing deal that follows the model used in 2001 — the last time the Senate had a 50-50 split. That means the party with the vice presidency and tie-breaking powers has control of the floor agenda.”
The NYT adds: “Late Monday, as the stalemate persisted, Mr. McConnell found a way out by pointing to statements by two centrist Democrats, Senators Joe Manchin III of West Virginia and Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona, that said they opposed getting rid of the procedural tool — a position they had held for months — as enough of a guarantee to move forward without a formal promise from Mr. Schumer.”
News of the deal broke just as MSNBC's Rachel Maddow was interviewing Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer about the negotiations.
More from the interview:
