President Biden, Majority Leader Schumer, and Speaker Pelosi are meeting on a new voting rights bill that they hope will break the filibuster.
Democrats Have A New Voting Rights Bill In The Works
President Biden and the top Democrats in Congress are expected to meet at the White House on Friday to discuss their party’s faltering efforts to pass major voting rights legislation, according to two congressional aides familiar with the plans.
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Democrats are close to finalizing a scaled-back bill that activists hope could be a battering ram in the fight over the filibuster. The party is also readying legislation to reinforce the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and lawmakers have discussed tucking voting provisions into the $3.5 trillion budget plan advancing in the Senate, which they can push through unilaterally over the opposition of Republicans. But the G.O.P. is largely opposed to all three.
The New Bill Undercuts GOP Voter Suppression Laws
The new bill guarantees 15 days of early in-person voting, including two Sundays, ends gerrymandering of congressional districts, expands mail-in voting, contains a voter ID requirement, requires super PACs to disclose their donors, and contains language that undercuts GOP voter suppression laws passed in red states.
If Democrats Can’t Kill The Filibuster, Look For Voting Rights In The Reconciliation Bill
Forget Sen. Sinema’s posturing on the reconciliation infrastructure bill. She will end up voting for it. The whispers that the intention of Senate Democrats is to include the Manchin voting rights compromise in the reconciliation bill are not going away. Democrats, Rules Committee Chair Sen. Amy Klobuchar (MN), have said that they are eying using reconciliation to pass voting rights.Â
If all 50 Democrats agree on the provisions, look for it to be a reconciliation bill, as getting rid of the filibuster may have to wait until after the 2022 election if Democrats add to their Senate majority.
Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
