After a defeat in the US Senate, which refused to change an obstruction rule and blocked a proposal to change US electoral legislation, President Joe Biden declared that “dangerous new Republican laws” try to “suppress and subvert the right to vote”. vote” across the country.
On Wednesday night, the Senate failed to pass a proposal by Democrats, Biden’s party, to reduce the votes required to pass bills in the House from 60 to 50.
The goal was to pass a Democratic bill, which the Associated Press reports, would nationally standardize changes such as making Election Day a national holiday, guaranteeing access to early voting and mail-in ballots, and allowing the Department of Justice to intervene in states with a history of electoral interference. The bill had passed the House of Representatives.
In order for it to also pass the Senate, Democrats proposed changing the obstruction rule to allow the bill to pass with a simple majority, but 52 senators rejected the request, with Democrats Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona and Joe Manchin of West Virginia, tracking the Republican vote.
Civil rights movements allege that states governed by the Republican Party have passed laws that make it more difficult for blacks and other minorities to vote, such as consolidating polling places (which would make it difficult to vote), requiring certain types of identification, among other changes.
In a statement released after the vote, Biden criticized “the Republican state legislatures,” which, he said, “are engaged in an unprecedented effort to suppress the sacred right to vote and to subvert the American foundation of free and fair elections.”
Calling himself “deeply disappointed,” the president said he “will continue to work with allies to advance the legislation necessary to protect the right to vote” and that Vice President Kamala Harris “will continue to lead this effort, as she did last year.” past”.
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