Freedom to Vote Act seems doomed to fail in the Senate

Washington DC – Democrats are expected to bring a compromise on voting rights legislation to the Senate floor Wednesday in an effort to pass some protections. Yet their attempt seems all but certain to fail.

West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin is one of the key authors of the Freedom to Vote Act.
West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin is one of the key authors of the Freedom to Vote Act.  © IMAGO / ZUMA Wire

The Freedom to Vote Act (FVA) is set to hit the Senate floor on Wednesday, but it appears doomed to fail, as no Republicans have indicated their support so far.

All federal voting rights legislation this year has stalled in the Senate up until this point, as Democrats have been unable to find 10 Republican senators to vote in favor.

In some cases, Democrats haven't even been able to secure full support within their own party, with the usual suspect Joe Manchin not fully on board with the most comprehensive proposals.

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The most encompassing of voting rights bills under consideration this year, the For the People Act, did not receive Manchin's support, nor that of any Senate Republican.

The John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, which seeks to reinstate protections guaranteed in the 1965 Voting Rights Act, has also been at a standstill, unable to overcome the Senate filibuster, which requires 60 votes to pass most legislation.

The FVA, the most recent proposal, was crafted as a compromise, with Manchin as one of the key authors.

The bill calls for at least 15 days of early voting, the ability for all citizens to request to vote by mail, and automatic voter registration programs, in addition to making Election Day a national holiday. But it also includes controversial voter ID requirements.

Freedom to Vote Act doomed to fail

New York Rep. Mondaire Jones is calling for an end to the Senate filibuster if the Freedom to Vote Act does not pass.
New York Rep. Mondaire Jones is calling for an end to the Senate filibuster if the Freedom to Vote Act does not pass.  © IMAGO / NurPhoto

The FVA stalling is probably according to plan for Democrats, who are likely using the act and its eventual failure as another clear example to illustrate why the filibuster should be abolished.

Manchin has long claimed that he believes voting rights legislation should be a bipartisan effort, but as Republicans prove each step of the way they will not play ball, that argument gets harder and harder to defend.

New York Rep. Mondaire Jones, a vocal critic of the filibuster, tweeted in advance of the vote.

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"If not a single Republican will do anything to save our democracy, Democrats will have to go it alone. We cannot allow the filibuster to stand in the way of passing the Freedom to Vote Act," he wrote.

But even as the push to end the filibuster grows, other conservative Democrats – including the president himself – remain tepid on getting rid of the 60-vote requirement.

Cover photo: IMAGO / ZUMA Wire

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