Senate Democrats introduce sweeping election bill that would curb GOP efforts to restrict voting

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The For the People Act, or S1, aims to expand access to voting nationwide. Democrats said the legislation would improve accountability and transparency in Washington, while Republicans argued that the legislation restricts political speech and represents a federal takeover that Democrats are pushing for in an effort to gain an advantage in elections.

Despite being passed in the House, the bill is likely to hit a roadblock in the Senate, where it is not clear that there would be enough Republican support to overcome a filibuster.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said on Wednesday he would present the Senate version of the law to the people after the March 24 hearings. they were akin to the Jim Crow laws.

“It’s not democracy when you rob people of their rights by passing Jim Crow laws. It’s not democracy – it’s dictatorship, and that’s where our Republican friends seem to be going,” he said.

The package’s consideration in Congress comes as GOP-led state legislatures across the country have introduced efforts to reduce voting rights. In February, state lawmakers in 43 states introduced more than 250 bills with restrictive voting provisions, according to a tally from New York University’s Brennan Center for Justice.

“When you lose an election, what you do in a democracy is try to win over the people who didn’t vote for you, not stop them from voting. It’s autocratic, it’s undemocratic. C ‘is anti-American, and it’s still nothing short of despicable, mean – and in many cases racist,’ said Schumer.

But the bill, under current Senate rules, is unlikely to progress. According to the rules, 60 votes are needed to shut down debate or end the “obstruction” of legislation – giving now-minority Republicans a powerful tool to block voting rights measures and other democratic priorities. The chamber has a partisan 50-50 split with Vice President Kamala Harris able to sever ties.

President Joe Biden said on Tuesday he would support the return of filibuster, which would force a senator who wants to block legislation to speak without taking a break. Meanwhile, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell gave a stern warning that Republicans would shut down the chamber if the filibuster rules changed, leading to a “scorched earth Senate.”

Schumer challenged Republicans to join Democrats in supporting the legislation, warning that “failure is not an option.”

“We’ll see if our Republican friends join us,” he said. “If they don’t join us, our caucus will meet and decide on the appropriate action to get everything on the table. Failure is not an option.”

When asked if filibuster reform might be needed to pass the bill, Schumer stressed that “everything is on the table.”

The voting rights package is largely the same as the version adopted at the last Congress. This would prevent states from restricting the ability to vote by mail and, among other provisions, require states to use independent redistribution commissions to create district boundaries in Congress. The new bill also includes measures to protect against foreign interference in the elections.

Progressive groups hope the launch of a new $ 30 million campaign will help persuade senators to pass the bill.

The plan of End Citizens United / Let America Vote and the National Democratic Redistricting Committee is to spend $ 20 million on a TV and digital advertising campaign and $ 10 million on a grassroots effort to try to pass the legislation. .

The ad campaign is expected to roll out initially in Alaska, Arizona, Georgia, Maine and Pennsylvania, and will eventually expand to 12 to 15 states. The grassroots effort should include calls and emails to senators, outreach to local activists, and funding for national and state partners to engage their members in the push.

Adam Bozzi, vice president of communications for End Citizens United / Let America Vote told CNN earlier this week that the group’s efforts will target Democrats as well as Republicans, but reiterated that their end goal was to ensure whether or not the bill is passed. it garners bipartisan support.

“We are going to race the Republicans,” Bozzi said, but “whether it is with 60 votes or a procedural change, we have to put this bill in a position to pass.”

CNN’s Sara Murray, Fredreka Schouten, Annie Grayer and Clare Foran contributed to this report.

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