Senate Democrats Close To Agreement On Voting Rights Compromise

[LetMyPeopleVote]

I liked everything in the For the People Act but there was so much in this bill that it would be hard to pass. I look forward to seeing this new bill. I had no problem with Manchin's earlier proposal and in particular loved the ban on partisan gerrrymandering

Link to tweet

Senate Democrats are nearing an agreement on a compromise version of their sweeping voting rights bill, the For The People Act, to be able to secure the support of Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), the lone Democrat to oppose the original bill.

The coming agreement comes after months of negotiations to craft a compromise version of the bill, called S.1 in the Senate. The new deal is being crafted by a group of Democratic senators led by Manchin and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (N.Y.), along with the bill’s original co-sponsors Sens. Amy Klobuchar (Minn.) and Jeff Merkley (Ore.), and Sens. Raphael Warnock (Ga.), Alex Padilla (Calif.), Angus King (Maine), Tim Kaine (Va.) and Jon Tester (Mont.).

“The compromise on a new S. 1 is pretty close to being fully baked,” said a senior Democratic congressional aide with knowledge of the bill.

The compromise bill trims the original For The People Act to meet the outline of compromise legislation Manchin put forward in June, according to sources. It includes most of the voter access expansions and election administration provisions in the original bill, including mandatory early voting, automatic voter registration and other key voting rights elements that were originally taken from the late John Lewis’ Voter Empowerment Act. It also includes provisions limiting partisan gerrymandering, banning undisclosed “dark money” in elections and newer provisions on addressing so-called election subversion, among other, as yet undisclosed elements.

[Beakybird]

1. Incredible news!!

[GoodRaisin]

4. Yes, is very encouraging

particularly glad to see election subversion included.

[mcar]

2. I am glad about this

and hope it leads to the Senate Democrats adopting the "Clyburn rule" where the filibuster would be suspended for constitutional issues - like voting.

[jcgoldie]

3. does it mean manchin willing to skirt filibuster for it?

Getting his vote is really not enough right?

[GoodRaisin]

8. Not without a filibuster change, no.

Would seem it has to be part of the negotiation.

[Celerity]

15. here

Manchin is reportedly already shopping his compromise proposal to Republicans in an attempt to bring ten of them along to break a filibuster, according to Politico. He has consistently stated that he believes Republicans can support a voting rights bill that looks like the compromise draft he put forward in June, especially since it includes a national voter identification requirement, something Republicans have long sought. The likelihood of Manchin finding any Republican support is, to put it lightly, low. Schumer is likely to file for cloture on the compromise bill soon after the Senate returns, setting up a floor vote. Republicans will then be given the opportunity to block the bill for a third time. But this time, they will be blocking Manchin’s bill.

Once his compromise bill is blocked, the debate over the filibuster that has been boiling all year long will really begin. That will mean confronting the opposition to changing the filibuster rules publicly expressed by both Manchin and Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.). Manchin stated this year both that he would never weaken the filibuster rules and that he would back a so-called “talking filibuster.” Sinema also stood by her opposition to changing the filibuster rules all year, but also stated her support for a caucus-wide debate on it in a Washington Post op-ed in June.

The question voting rights activists raise about Manchin is whether he would invest so much time and effort into crafting a compromise bill only to let his own opposition to changing a procedural rule destroy all the hard work. Why play the role of the late Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) giving the thumbs down to tank his party’s top priority legislation when he co-wrote the bill? Less is known about Sinema’s position, but she is a co-sponsor of the bill and a vocal supporter of its policies.

The answer to that question is expected to come in October or even November, as the ongoing infrastructure and social program fight intervenes in the leadup to the Sept. 27 reconciliation deadline. But the full-fledged fight over voting rights, with the parties on opposite sides, one for voting rights and the other opposed, and whether a minority can filibuster to block the protection of those rights will now be had.

[Hekate]

5. TY so much for this, LMPV!

Fingers crossed.

[napi21]

6. G R E A T!!!!! When that passes & Biden signs it, the Pubs will keep the courts busy with suits

against the voting rights, Texas anti Roe law, & of course Joe Biden foor being such a dictator! They'll lose all their suits, but I'm hoping their actions will get more Dems elected in 2022. Let 'em stew in the minority for several elections. Maybe it'll improve their outlook!

[GoodRaisin]

9. Survive another day with this.

Then pick up seats in 2022 and go after the filibuster and subsequent court expansion.

[Mme. Defarge]

7. God willing and the creek don't rise!

Election subversion? Like the losing majority party changing its state’s voting results?

[msongs]

10. encouraging. are there 10 repubs going vote for it..... nt

[PSPS]

13. No. They'll have to suspend the filibuster for it.

[vercetti2021]

11. I'll believe when I see it signed by Joe

Until then. It's all talk and no show.

[OnDoutside]

14. I have been saying the reverse for months, that I'll believe that he

wouldn't support some form of VRA when it's put to the floor for a vote. And yes everything in between is all talk.

[BadgerMom]

12. Please.

[LetMyPeopleVote]

16. "I intend to hold a vote in the Senate as early as next week on voting rights legislation

Link to tweet

[BlueCheeseAgain]

17. I'm curious what Manchin's endgame is on this.

Why would he spend so much time coming up with something like this, knowing that Republicans will filibuster? What will he do once that happens?

(Also, the article says that Manchin opposed the original For the People Act. He actually voted for breaking the filibuster on it.)