Current and former Republican lawmakers were captured on tape gleefully thanking Democratic Sens. Joe Manchin (D. W.Va) and Kyrsten Sinema (D. Ariz) for preserving the filibuster and blocking President Joe Biden’s agenda.
On Friday, Activist Lauren Windsor shared the lawmakers’ comments as part of leaked video shot at a recent event hosted by the right-wing group Patriot Voices.
The video begins with former Pennsylvania Republican senator Rick Santorum admitting that he does not want the will of the people to be done immediately and that the filibuster was put in place to protect the minority.
“A bunch of people are running around, particularly progressives, who all they want to talk about is, ‘Let the people’s will be done. No! no, no no! We don’t want the people’s will to be done immediately because you have the passions of the majority,” Santorum says. “Remember, our Constitution was set up to protect who? Minority rights, not the majority rights.”
Rep. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz) argues that Democrats are pushing “as far as they can.”
“Fortunately for us, the filibuster is still in effect,” Biggs continued. “Without that, we would be dead meat. And this thing would be — then we’d be having a little bit more frantic discussion than we’re having today. Thank goodness for Sinema and Joe Manchin.”
Florida congressman Byron Donalds said he likes it when Democratic congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez goes after Manchin because, “it makes my job easier as a conservative because I can go to Joe Manchin or Kyrsten Sinema, and be like: ‘Hey guys, I’m really sorry you’re having to go through that. That’s just a shame. Nobody should be treated like this. I just really thank you for standing up for the country.”
He then encouraged members of the audience to call Manchin’s and Sinema’s offices and “be polite” and “smile as you talk on the phone,” because they are the ones keeping the republic intact by protecting the country from “alot of things that the left wants to do.”
The video ends with Santorum telling the audience “it’s a lot easier to pass giveaways than it is to take them away….Call Joe Manchin and say thank you.”
