Senate GQP Filibusters Voting Rights For A Fourth Time

The Hill reports, Senate GOP blocks John Lewis voting rights bill:

Republicans on Wednesday blocked the Senate from even starting debate on a voting rights bill named after the late Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.), marking the latest setback for Democrats in their push for new elections legislation.

Senators voted 50-49 [not voting Rounds (R-SD)] on whether or not to bring up the bill, falling short of the 60 votes needed to move forward. Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) switched his yes vote to no, a procedural step that lets him bring the bill back up in the future for another vote.

Unlike this year’s previous failed election reform votes, which were on bills that stretched well beyond bolstering the Voting Rights Act, Democrats picked up a GOP supporter: Sen. Lisa Murkowski (Alaska).

Murkowski and Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) signed onto a revised version of the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act on Tuesday after weeks of behind-the-scenes negotiating.

[A]ll Senate Democrats except Manchin introduced the bill in October to update the 1965 Voting Rights Act (VRA) to strengthen sections that were gutted by the Supreme Court’s 2013 Shelby County v. Holder decision, which focused on Section 5 of the VRA and its required Justice Department preclearance before some states could change voting laws, and this year’s Brnovich v. Democratic National Committee decision, which advocates believe weakened Section 2, which is focused on racially targeted voting policies.

The revised bill that Republicans blocked on Wednesday includes several changes, including what factors courts can consider when determining if Section 2 of the VRA has been violated. The bill also drops a requirement for localities with growing minority populations to get preclearance for changes on offering food or drinks to people waiting in line to vote. The change has been included under the earlier version of the bill’s new requirement for “practice-based” preclearance.

Schumer vowed that if Republicans let them start debate on the bill that he would let GOP senators propose and get votes on amendments. Even if Republicans had let the bill come up for debate they could have blocked it again on the backend, when it has to overcome a second 60-vote hurdle before a final vote.

Schumer thanked Murkowski ahead of the vote, saying that supporting the bill “was not a decision she made lightly” and that she had called him from Alaska to let him know about it.

“My Democratic colleagues worked hard with her to compromise on a proposal that she could support while still maintaining the basic thrust of their legislation. Just as Democrats in the Senate worked with Senator Murkowski on legislation to strengthen our democracy, we will work with other Republicans in good faith to improve this legislation, but they must come to the table first,” he said.

“I want to emphasize once again what today’s vote is about. We are not asking any Republican to support specific legislation. Today is about whether or not we will vote to begin debate here in this chamber,” he added.

But that wasn’t enough to defeat a GOP filibuster.

[T]he failed vote is also pouring new fuel on calls to overhaul the Senate’s rules in order to advance voting rights. Progressives and a growing number of outside groups support nixing the filibuster or a smaller change to exempt voting legislation from the 60-vote hurdle.

Democrats have been unable to do either as such a move would require total unity from all 50 of their senators. Sens. Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.) are opposed to nixing the filibuster, and others are viewed as wary.

But Democratic lawmakers and activists who support filibuster reform argue that it’s the only way to get a slew of legislation, including voting rights, through the Senate.

“Thankfully, since the last Republican filibuster of voting rights legislation, President Biden has endorsed filibuster reform and injected renewed momentum and urgency into this effort. It’s more clear than ever before that Democrats must choose between keeping the ‘Jim Crow’ filibuster intact or delivering on voting rights legislation before it’s too late,” said Eli Zupnick, a spokesperson for Fix Our Senate.

The Huffington Post adds, Republicans Filibuster Voting Rights Legislation For The Fourth Time:

Republicans on Wednesday blocked the Senate from even beginning debate on the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act with a filibuster ― their fourth filibuster of voting rights legislation this year.

[By] using the filibuster a fourth time, Republicans have signaled clearly that they will not support any voting rights legislation, including the restoration of provisions of the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

Democrats widely anticipated that Republicans would use the filibuster once again, and they were planning to use the moment to provoke a full examination within the caucus on whether to change the Senate’s rules to move forward.

“We will continue to fight for voting rights and find an alternative path forwards, even if it means going at it alone, to defend the most fundamental liberty we have as citizens,” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said after Wednesday’s vote.

Sens. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) and Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.) vocally oppose changing the Senate’s filibuster rules. Despite this stated opposition, Democratic leadership has tried to show Manchin that support for passing voting rights laws and support for maintaining existing filibuster rules are at cross purposes. The filibuster of the John Lewis voting rights law completes this process.

[S]chumer gave Manchin time to shop his Freedom to Vote Act to Republican senators, but none agreed to sign on, and every single GOP senator – [including Murkowski] – filibustered it when Schumer brought it to the floor.

As the Freedom to Vote Act came up against a GOP filibuster, the House passed the John Lewis voting rights bill. Manchin supported this bill all along, saying it could attract Republican support. And it has.

Sens. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) and Manchin announced a compromise on Tuesday with Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) to obtain her support for the John Lewis voting rights law.

[If] anything, Murkowski’s support illustrates how extreme Republicans have become in opposing voting rights legislation. When the Voting Rights Act last came up for reauthorization in 2006, it passed the Senate 98-0. Today, the GOP is happy to stand aside and let the conservative Supreme Court gut the 1965 act that ended Jim Crow election practices.

Republicans have shown Manchin they have no interest in passing voting rights legislation. The Senate Democratic caucus will now need to determine whether this is enough to gain his support to change the filibuster rules.

Democrats are now campaigning for “restoring the Senate” by changing the rules to allow more debate on legislation and a pathway to passage. What that would look like remains to be seen. The options being discussed include a filibuster carve-out for voting rights legislation and the restoration of some form of talking filibuster.

What is clear is that the existing avenues for all forms of voting rights legislation are blocked. The only way through is by changing the rules. The question now is whether Democrats genuinely believe that the new restrictive voting laws in several states, as well as Trump’s election fraud lies that led to the Jan. 6 insurrection, really are a threat to free and fair elections ― or not.

It comes down to two prima donna Democratic divas whether American democracy will survive or die from their indifference.