Senate Republicans block Democrats’ voting and elections bill

Senate Republicans block Democrats’ voting and elections bill

Senate Republicans blocked another voting rights bill Wednesday, as some on the left call to change the chamber’s rules to allow the Democratic Party to unilaterally change federal election law. The vote was 49 to 51.

The Democratic bill, known as the Freedom to Vote Act, would make it easier to register to vote, make Election Day a public holiday, ensure states have early voting for federal elections and allow all voters to request mail-in ballots. The measure would also bolster security on voting systems, overhaul how congressional districts are redrawn and impose new disclosures on donations to outside groups active in political campaigns.
But Republicans have blocked a number of voting rights legislation since Democrats took the House and Senate the past two election cycles.
Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell said Wednesday that the bill is similar to previous efforts Republicans blocked, saying it “still subjects popular commonsense election integrity provisions like voter ID to the whims of federal bureaucrats” and “still puts Washington in the middle of states’ redistricting decisions.”
“The latest umpteenth iteration is only a compromise in the sense that the left and the far left argued among themselves about exactly how much power to grab and in which areas,” McConnell said. “As long as Senate Democrats remain fixated on their radical agenda, this body will continue to do the job the Framers assigned..Read More