+

Cookies on the Business Insider India website

Business Insider India has updated its Privacy and Cookie policy. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the better experience on our website. If you continue without changing your settings, we\'ll assume that you are happy to receive all cookies on the Business Insider India website. However, you can change your cookie setting at any time by clicking on our Cookie Policy at any time. You can also see our Privacy Policy.

Close
HomeQuizzoneWhatsappShare Flash Reads
 

Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin says he'll oppose the sweeping voting-rights legislation backed by his party

Jun 7, 2021, 18:27 IST
Business Insider
Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia.Oliver Contreras/The New York Times via AP, Pool
  • Sen. Joe Manchin has announced he plans to vote against the For the People Act.
  • The voting-rights legislation would nullify many GOP-led voting restrictions at the state level.
  • President Joe Biden has called for passage of the voting-rights bill.
Advertisement

Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia on Sunday said he would vote against the sweeping voting-rights legislation known as the For the People Act, imperiling one of his party's most important legislative priorities.

In declaring his opposition, Manchin is defying Democratic pleas for federal action on securing voting rights, which the party says is necessary to counter the raft of restrictive voting laws championed by the GOP at the state level.

In an opinion piece in the Charleston Gazette-Mail, the moderate senator deemed the bill, also identified as S.1, to be overly partisan while also reaffirming his support for the filibuster, positions that have become anathema to many Democrats after years of legislative gridlock in Congress.

"The right to vote is fundamental to our American democracy, and protecting that right should not be about party or politics," he wrote. "Least of all, protecting this right, which is a value I share, should never be done in a partisan manner."

He emphasized: "I believe that partisan voting legislation will destroy the already weakening binds of our democracy, and for that reason, I will vote against the For the People Act. Furthermore, I will not vote to weaken or eliminate the filibuster."

Advertisement

Manchin wrote that voting reform that couldn't garner bipartisan support would "all but ensure partisan divisions continue to deepen."

In March, the House passed the For the People Act in a near party-line 220-210 vote. Rep. Bennie Thompson of Mississippi was the sole Democrat who voted against the bill.

Read more: What we learned about Joe Biden from riding Amtrak with a Senate colleague who has known the president for five decades

The legislation would end partisan gerrymandering, expand early and absentee voting, establish national standards for voter registration, and blunt voter purges, among other things.

The bill would also mandate that states offer mail-in ballots and same-day voter registration, which Republicans have long resisted in many states.

Advertisement

Former President Donald Trump's debunked voting claims have only deepened the partisan divide on voting rights, and GOP congressional leaders have vehemently come out against the For the People Act.

Manchin, however, sees potential in the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, a bipartisan elections bill that he supports and hopes to see signed into law.

"My Republican colleague, Sen. Lisa Murkowski, has joined me in urging Senate leadership to update and pass this bill through regular order," he wrote. "I continue to engage with my Republican and Democratic colleagues about the value of the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act and I am encouraged by the desire from both sides to transcend partisan politics and strengthen our democracy by protecting voting rights."

President Joe Biden has called for the passage of both pieces of legislation, but without Manchin's support of S.1. and with the prospect of the filibuster still being in place, the chances of the bill reaching his desk have narrowed.

Democrats and Republicans each have 50 seats in the Senate, with Democrats controlling the chamber because of Vice President Kamala Harris' tiebreaking vote.

Advertisement

The voting-rights bill, however, would have to clear the 60-vote threshold to withstand a legislative filibuster and proceed to a vote where it could pass with a simple majority.

You are subscribed to notifications!
Looks like you've blocked notifications!
Next Article