Senate Republicans block debate on voting rights bill

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Senate Republicans blocked a sprawling Democratic voting rights and government ethics bill Tuesday, as federal efforts to respond to a rash of restrictive ballot laws passed by GOP-held state legislatures hit a wall.

The For the People Act aims to set up automatic voter registration, expand early voting, ensure more transparency in political donations and limit partisan drawing of congressional districts, among other provisions. Democrats pushed for the reforms before the 2020 election, but called them more necessary to protect the democratic process after former President Donald Trump’s false claims of electoral fraud sparked an attack on the Capitol and restrictive state voting measures.

The House passed its version of the bill in March. The measure failed a procedural test in the Senate Tuesday, as Republicans voted against starting debate on it.

The plan needed 60 votes to advance in the Senate, split evenly by party. It fell along party lines in a 50-50 vote.

After the bill failed to advance, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., criticized his GOP counterparts for reluctance to start the process of debating and amending the bill.

“Now, Republican senators may have prevented us from having a debate on voting rights today,” he said. “But I want to be very clear about one thing: the fight to protect voting rights is not over. By no means. In the fight for voting rights, this vote was the starting gun, not the finish line.”

Schumer said the Senate has “several, serious options for how to reconsider this issue and advance legislation to combat voter suppression.” He said he plans to “explore every last one of our options.”

Republicans have framed the legislation as a power grab by Democrats. They have argued states rather than the federal government should have leeway to set election laws.

The GOP has also questioned the need for a new bill to protect voting rights. Republicans have downplayed the restrictive laws in states such as Georgia and Florida, which took steps including making it harder to vote absentee and limiting ballot drop-off boxes. Critics of the measures say they will disproportionately hurt voters of color and give GOP officials more power over election outcomes.

Ahead of the Senate vote, Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., called the Democratic bill a “transparently partisan plan,” stressing it was in the works before Republican-led legislatures passed voting laws.

“The Senate is only an obstacle when the policy is flawed and the process is rotten,” he said.

Schumer disputed the argument that the federal government should not exert its will on election laws. He pointed to past bills such as the Voting Rights Act that protected voters from discrimination.

The Biden administration has formally backed the For the People Act as the president considers voting rights a key piece of his agenda. In a statement after the vote, Biden said Democrats “unanimously came together to protect the sacred right to vote.”

He later continued: “Unfortunately, a Democratic stand to protect our democracy met a solid Republican wall of opposition. Senate Republicans opposed even a debate—even considering—legislation to protect the right to vote and our democracy.”

Vice President Kamala Harris, who has met with voting rights advocates in recent weeks, presided over the Senate vote on Tuesday. She plans in the coming weeks to promote registration and work with state leaders who are pushing back on restrictive bills, NBC News reported.

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Комментарии

There is no voter suppression when even non-Americans can get away with voting. We need a National Voter I.D. so that only American votes will count, and there's one vote per person.

jaelynbrose

A great win for American democracy 🇺🇲👏👏

Kyleish

Senate Republicans did something right? Let’s go GOP

LMajorDegs

Who cares what Democrats think United States of America is done with you don't like this country the way it was leave he'll always and buy your ticket

tommeadows

I find It bizarre that Kamala would be so vocal about continuing the fight to destroy voter rights.

nathansharp

Where is the border, hint, it's not there

notrackscntfndme

Actually the fight needs to be over. Drop it, over 70% of Americans do not want this. Drop it.

purdyquibb

If one's voting right is expected to be exercised without ID, why can't I exercise My second amendment right without ID?

thisisurcapt

I’ve got to say republican are right on this one.

benoutdoors

Just have a valid ID when you vote. Easy peasy lemon squeezy

bonekollektor

Wow she's not cackling now. This administration doesn't like to answer questions does it.

saltyshaker

Every legal adult American citizen already has the right to vote in the US by 2021-22.

bay

Don't preach to me about voting.I can't by beer without I'd.Most black people I know have ID.Change the law that I can fly on a plane, or drive without id.Then we can talk about voting after that.

Shadowlaw

Nothing is never good enough for democrats.

ocelott

Yes the Republicans have now a backbone .
Lord, how long shall the wicked, how long shall the wicked triumph? “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.”

crazyhandshands