McConnell drops filibuster demand, paving way for power-sharing deal
26 January 2021
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell has abandoned his demand that Democrats state, in writing, that they would not abandon the legislative filibuster.
Between the lines: McConnell was never going to agree to a 50-50 power sharing deal without putting up a fight over keeping the 60-vote threshold. But the minority leader ultimately caved after it became clear that delaying the organizing resolution was no longer feasible.
What we're hearing: Centrist Democrats Joe Manchin (D-W.V.) and Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.) privately indicated to McConnell that they would not vote to end the filibuster, two sources familiar with the talks tell Axios.
- McConnell seized on those promises as an escape hatch, as well as leverage to use over the members in case Democrats take up the issue in the coming months.
- McConnell will give a longer take on the filibuster in his floor remarks Tuesday.
What they're saying: "Today two Democratic Senators publicly confirmed they will not vote to end the legislative filibuster," McConnell said in a statement late Monday evening.
- "With these assurances, I look forward to moving ahead with a power-sharing agreement modeled on that precedent.”
- Schumer spokesman Justin Goodman said in a follow-up statement: “We’re glad Senator McConnell threw in the towel and gave up on his ridiculous demand. We look forward to organizing the Senate under Democratic control and start getting big, bold things done for the American people.”
What's next: Expect a detailed power-sharing accord to be announced this week, modeled after the 2001 Senate agreement between senators Tom Daschle and Trent Lott.
Transcripts show George Floyd told police "I can't breathe" over 20 times
Section2Newly released transcripts of bodycam footage from the Minneapolis Police Department show that George Floyd told officers he could not breathe more than 20 times in the moments leading up to his death.
Why it matters: Floyd's killing sparked a national wave of Black Lives Matter protests and an ongoing reckoning over systemic racism in the United States. The transcripts "offer one the most thorough and dramatic accounts" before Floyd's death, The New York Times writes.
The state of play: The transcripts were released as former officer Thomas Lane seeks to have the charges that he aided in Floyd's death thrown out in court, per the Times. He is one of four officers who have been charged.
- The filings also include a 60-page transcript of an interview with Lane. He said he "felt maybe that something was going on" when asked if he believed that Floyd was having a medical emergency at the time.
What the transcripts say:
- Floyd told the officers he was claustrophobic as they tried to get him into the squad car.
- The transcripts also show Floyd saying, "Momma, I love you. Tell my kids I love them. I'm dead."
- Former officer Derek Chauvin, who had his knee on Floyd's neck for over eight minutes, told Floyd, "Then stop talking, stop yelling, it takes a heck of a lot of oxygen to talk."
Read the transcripts via DocumentCloud.