Democrats Want to Use January 6 Anniversary to Jumpstart Voting Legislation

Democrats are hoping to use the one-year anniversary of the January 6 protests and riot at the Capitol to jumpstart their stalled efforts on voting legislation, according to a report.

Politico Playbook reported Monday morning:

In the Senate, we hear from well-positioned sources, there’s a desire to take the opportunity to supercharge the party’s long-stalled voting rights legislation — possibly even using the anniversary to try to get Sens. KYRSTEN SINEMA (D-Ariz.) and JOE MANCHIN (D-W.Va.) to go nuclear on the filibuster or embrace rules changes.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) in a letter on Monday laid out his plans to hold a vote on January 17 to change filibuster rules if Republicans filibuster two Democrat voting bills. He wrote:

One year ago this week, we experienced great sorrow: mere hours after the dawn of a new Congress and a new Majority, our beloved capitol was attacked. It was attacked in a naked attempt to derail our Republic’s most sacred tradition: the peaceful transfer of power. Domestic violent extremists sought to inflict chaos and violence. Fueled by conspiracy and the ravings of a vengeful former President, they sought to destroy our Republic.

…

Much like the violent insurrectionists who stormed the US Capitol nearly one year ago, Republican officials in states across the country have seized on the former president’s Big Lie about widespread voter fraud to enact anti-democratic legislation and seize control of typically non-partisan election administrative functions.

New — Schumer announces plan to hold vote to change filibuster rules to advance bill overhauling election laws. Wants vote before MLK day on Jan. 17. Talks continue in Senate but Manchin and Sinema are opposed to changing rules along party lines — known as the “nuclear option.” pic.twitter.com/9yp0qO9O7x

— Manu Raju (@mkraju) January 3, 2022

Schumer said Senate Democrats this week would “make clear” that January 6 is “directly linked” to actions taken by Republican-led state legislatures on voting reforms.

The voting bills need 60 votes to overcome a filibuster, but with 50 Republicans, 48 Democrats and two Independents who vote Democrat, it is unlikely they will secure the support of 10 Republicans on what they say is federal overreach. In addition, two moderate Democrats, Sens. Joe Manchin (WV) and Kyrsten Sinema (AZ) oppose getting rid of the filibuster as it stands.

However, some Democrats are hopeful that they can use January 6 to convince them to change the rules of the filibuster, according to Politico.

The Democrat voting bills are “The Freedom to Vote Act” and the “John Lewis Voting Rights Act.”

The Freedom to Vote Act would make permanent the temporary voting expansion options put into place in the November 2020 election, expanding early voting and making voting-by-mail easier. It would also loosen voter ID requirements, allowing voters to present a wider range of identification cards and documents, according to Vox. The bill would also make Election Day a legal public holiday.

The John Lewis Voting Rights Act would replace part of the 1965 Voting Rights Act that the Supreme Court struck down in 2013 and would restore Justice Department review of changes in election law in states with a history of discrimination, according to USA Today.

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