Dark Money Fuels Push to Ditch Filibuster

The left-wing group leading a campaign to have Senate Democrats eliminate the filibuster is housed at one of the left's most powerful dark money networks, business records show.

Fix Our Senate is steering a coalition of 60 progressive groups to pressure moderate Democrats to eliminate the filibuster, which requires a 60-vote supermajority to advance legislation. The group is a project of the Sixteen Thirty Fund, a nonprofit incubator managed by the D.C.-based consulting firm Arabella Advisors. Arabella's network of funds is used by the nation's wealthiest liberal donors to secretly bankroll a host of progressive initiatives. 

The coalition has added dozens of groups in recent days as Democrats increase their calls to eliminate the filibuster. President Joe Biden has said he supports filibuster reform and would prefer a return to a "talking filibuster," but White House press secretary Jen Psaki said the president remains "open to hearing" other ideas. Removing the filibuster would help Democrats looking to push through a progressive agenda. Minority Leader Mitch McConnell has threatened to use procedural moves to grind Senate business to a halt, should Democrats succeed.