Doomed votes on voting rights and rules changes will hand Democrats their second high-profile setback in as many months.
A key part of President Biden’s legislative agenda is headed toward another defeat Wednesday, handing Democrats their second high-profile setback in as many months. The Senate will hold a procedural vote Wednesday night to advance a pair of voting rights bills that Democrats say are critical to ensuring fair elections amid efforts in GOP-led states to erect new barriers to voting. But while Senate Democrats unanimously support the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act and the Freedom to Vote Act, they will be unable to pass either without support from 10 Republicans — an insurmountable hurdle given GOP opposition. Once the vote inevitably fails, Senate Democrats will pivot to an effort to change the 60-vote threshold into a so-called talking filibuster, which would require those in opposition to speak on the floor continuously to block legislation. Democrats only need 51 votes to change the rules to adopt a talking filibuster, or even to scrap the 60-vote threshold altogether. But two moderate Democrats, Sens. Joe Manchin III of West Virginia and Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona, have said they would oppose filibuster reform. Democratic leaders are pressing on. “Make no mistake, win, lose or draw, members of this chamber were elected to debate and to vote, particularly on such an important issue as this,” Senate Majority Leader Charles E.
