Voting legislation that Democrats and civil rights groups argue is vital for protecting democracy has been blocked by a Republican filibuster.
"This is not just another routine day in the Senate, this is a moral moment," said Sen. Raphael Warnock, D-Ga.
The Democrats' bill, the Freedom to Vote: John R. Lewis Act, would make Election Day a national holiday, ensure access to early voting and mail-in ballots — which have become especially popular during the COVID-19 pandemic — and enable the Justice Department to intervene in states with a history of voter interference, among other changes. It has passed the House.
Durbin said he would have asked McConnell, "Does he really believe that there's no evidence of voter suppression?"RELATED:McConnell, who led his party in doing away with the filibuster’s 60-vote threshold for Supreme Court nominees during Donald Trump’s presidency, warned against changing the rules again.
"For those who say bipartisanship is impossible, we have proven them wrong," Manchin said, citing the recent infrastructure bill he helped pass into law. "We can do it again. ... We can make it easier to vote."President Joe Biden spoke in Atlanta, Georgia on Tuesday challenging senators to "stand against voter suppression," urging them to change Senate rules in order to pass voting rights legislation.
Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, said a bipartisan coalition should work on legislation to ensure voter access, particularly in far-flung areas like her state, and to shore up Americans’ faith in democracy.
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