20/10/21 17:55 Senate G.O.P.

Senate G.O.P. Blocks Voting Rights Bill for Third Time This Year - The New York Times

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/10/20/us/senate-voting-rights-filibuster.html
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Senate Republicans Block Voting Rights Bill, Leaving Its Fate in Doubt
Cesar Carmen
ce.carvel@gmail.com
The third filibuster of such a measure underscored how the legislation is unlikely to move forward without a change
in Senate rules. Continuar como Cesar

By Carl Hulse

Oct. 20, 2021, 3:44 p.m. ET

WASHINGTON — Republicans on Wednesday blocked action for the third time this year on legislation to bolster
voting rights, leaving Democrats few options to advance the bill outside of changing the Senate filibuster rule and
passing it over G.O.P. opposition.

All 50 Democrats and independents supported bringing the Freedom to Vote Act to the floor, but all 50 Republicans
voted against doing so, maintaining a stalemate over a proposal that Democrats say is needed to counter efforts in
Republican-controlled states to impose new restrictions on voting in the aftermath of the 2020 elections.

“These laws will make it harder for millions of Americans to participate in their government,” said Senator Chuck
Schumer, Democrat of New York and the majority leader. “If there is anything worthy of the Senate’s attention, if
there’s any issue that merits debate on this floor, it is protecting our democracy from the forces that are trying to
unravel it from the inside out.”

The tie left Democrats at least 10 votes short of the 60 needed to overcome a filibuster, and there was little evidence
that any Republicans could be brought on board. (Mr. Schumer switched his vote to “no” at the last moment,
enabling him under Senate rules to move to reconsider the bill at some point in the future and putting the official
tally at 49 to 51.)

Senator Mitch McConnell, Republican of Kentucky and the minority leader, assailed the proposal put forward by
Democrats on Wednesday, which was a compromise version of a broader voting rights measure that Republicans
had blocked twice before.

“The same rotten core is all still there,” Mr. McConnell said of the new legislation. “As long as Senate Democrats
remain fixated on their radical agenda, this body will continue to do the job the framers assigned it and stop terrible
ideas in their tracks.”

The bill would set federal standards for early and mail-in voting and make Election Day a national holiday, among
other provisions. It would also mandate that voters provide some form of identification before casting a ballot, a
requirement that many Democrats had previously resisted, although it would be far less restrictive than similar
measures that Republicans have imposed.

The compromise was struck to win the support of Senator Joe Manchin III of West Virginia, the sole Democrat to
oppose a more expansive voting rights bill passed by the House in August. Mr. Manchin has spent weeks trying to
win Republican support for the pared-back version but was unsuccessful, giving Democrats hope that he might
become more amenable to weakening the filibuster to advance a measure he helped write.

In light of the vote, key Democrats said they would regroup and try again to persuade Mr. Manchin and other
Senate Democrats reluctant to undermine the filibuster that an overhaul of the chamber’s signature procedural
tactic was the only way to protect ballot access around the country.

“We will circle back with all of our colleagues to plead with them to make the changes necessary to pass this bill,”
said Senator Chris Van Hollen, Democrat of Maryland.

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