Democrats Use Dreaded Filibuster to Block Ted Cruz Bill Sanctioning Russia’s Nord Stream 2 Pipeline

Democrats used the Senate filibuster, which they are busy trying to eliminate, to block a bill by Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) on Thursday that would have sanctioned companies associated with Russia’s Nord Stream 2 pipeline. The bill had 55 votes.

The filibuster requires 60 votes to end debate and move to a final vote, which meant that despite the 55-44 margin, and the votes of five Democrats in favor, the bill could not advance — a win for President Joe Biden’s approach to talks with Russia.

The Biden administration allowed the Nord Stream 2 pipeline to proceed last year — after shutting down the Keystone XL pipeline project in the U.S. to appease environmentalists — saying that the project was too close to completion to reverse.

President Donald Trump had sought to block Nord Stream 2 because it would have made Europe more dependent on Russia’s natural gas, increasing President Vladimir Putin’s leverage in the west and his ability to circumvent pipelines in Ukraine.