Senate Democrats are ready to introduce a wide-ranging election bill aimed at thwarting GOP attempts to restrict voting access

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The For the People Act, or S1, aims to expand voting access across the country. Democrats have said the legislation would improve accountability and transparency in Washington, while Republicans have argued that the legislation restricts political speech and represents a grip of federal power that Democrats are promoting. in an effort to win elections.

Although it has passed in the House, the legislation is likely to hit a road in the Senate, where it is not clear that there would be enough Republican support to overcome filibuster.

Consideration of the package in Congress stems from the fact that GOP-led state legislatures across the country have stepped in efforts to ban voting rights. In February, state lawmakers in 43 states introduced more than 250 bills with limited voting provisions, according to a report from the Brennan Justice Center at New York University.

“It is vital that we use our constitutional powers. The Constitution states that, for congressional elections, we have the capacity to express the parameters within which these elections are to be held and it is our constitutional duty to protect the ballot box, ”Democratic Sen. Dh. Jeff Merkley of Oregon told Chris Cuomo at CNN on Monday.

“And here we are with … this great effort to attack the ability of Black Americans, poor Americans, college students and Native Americans to cast a ballot. It is completely wrong. It is completely unmarried and it is to totally to blame for our constitutional responsibility, “Merkley added.

But the legislation, under current Senate rules, is unlikely to go ahead. According to the rules, 60 votes are needed to stop a debate or end a “filibuster” of legislation – giving Republicans now a powerful tool in the minority to block voting rights measures and other Democratic priorities. A 50-50 party split in the chamber with Vice President Kamala Harris is in a position to break ties.

President Joe Biden said Tuesday that he would support the reinstatement of the speech filibuster, which a grandfather who wants to block legislation to keep the floor from breaking would have to take. Meanwhile, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell issued a strong warning that Republicans would erode the chamber if filibuster rules were stopped, leading to “a completely dissolved ground Senate. “

The voting rights package is largely the same as the previous version of the last Congress. It would prevent states from restricting postal voting capacity and, among other provisions, urge states to use independent redistribution commissions to create the boundaries of transport districts. The new bill also introduces measures to protect against foreign bans in elections.

Advanced groups are hoping to launch a new $ 30 million campaign to force seniors to pass legislation.

The plan from End Citizens United / Let America Vote and the Democratic Redesigning National Committee is to spend $ 20 million on a television and digital advertising campaign and $ 10 million on a local effort to try to get the legislation.

The advertising campaign is expected to initially roll out in Alaska, Arizona, Georgia, Maine and Pennsylvania, and will eventually expand to 12 to 15 states. The public’s effort is expected to include calls and emails to seniors, reaching out to local campaigners and funding for national and state partners to enlist their members in the campaign.

Adam Bozzi, vice president of communications for End Citizens United / Let America Vote told CNN earlier in the week that the groups’ efforts will target Democrats as well as Republicans, but reiterated that its ultimate goal is to ensure that the bill passes whether it passes or not. it gathers bipartisan support.

“We’re going to run at Republican,” Bozzi said, but “whether it’s by 60 votes or a change in approach, we have to put this bill in a position to go through. “

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

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