WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) tonight released the below statement after voting to prevent Senate Democrats’ attempt to use the “nuclear option” to radically change the Senate’s filibuster rules and abolish the 60-vote threshold when considering legislation.

“Even in an equally divided Senate, a majority of senators saw through the efforts of the Democratic leadership to alter the rules to advance their radical agenda. Tonight, I was proud to stand to promote bipartisanship when considering legislation. Make no mistake: This is not about voting rights. Instead, Democrats’ flip-flopped on their position on the filibuster and attempted a short-sighted power grab to federalize our elections. When the shoe was on the other foot, a Republican majority did not alter the rules. In fact, during that time, 32 of my Democrat colleagues joined Republicans—myself included—in sending a letter to Senators McConnell and Schumer urging them to preserve the filibuster for legislation.

“Now that Senator Schumer’s blatant attempts to break the Senate have failed, I am hopeful that we can work towards bipartisan solutions to help address the needs and issues facing America. Issues like rising inflation, the coronavirus pandemic and lack of access to long-promised tests for the American people, the supply chain crisis, the opioid epidemic, and the crisis at our southern border—just to name a few. These issues demand our attention, and the American people elected us to tackle them and deliver real and meaningful results that make their lives better. Instead, Senator Schumer and most of my Democrat colleagues are choosing to distract from the pressing issues facing West Virginians so they can advance their radical agenda.”

BACKGROUND:

In 2017, Senator Capito, along with 60 of her colleagues from both sides of the aisle sent a letter to Leaders Mitch McConnell and Chuck Schumer urging them to preserve the filibuster for legislation. In total, 28 Republicans and 32 Democrats signed the letter.

On Tuesday, Fox News published an op-ed by Senator Capito highlighting her strong opposition to Senate Democrats’ attempts to change the Senate’s filibuster rules. Click here to read the op-ed.

Last week, Senator Capito delivered a Senate floor speech and participated in a Senate GOP press conference highlighting the importance of the filibuster. Click here watch Senator Capito’s remarks from a press conference, and click here to watch her floor remarks.

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