Right-wing Democratic Sen. Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona went beyond her usual defense of the filibuster on Monday to argue in favor of reinstating the Senate’s supermajority requirement for all judicial and executive branch confirmations, drawing the ire of progressives who have long criticized the upper chamber’s anti-democratic rules. “Not only …
Read More »Biden Says He Supports Changing Senate Filibuster Rules To Protect Abortion Rights
Originally published by The 19th Amanda Becker President Joe Biden said Thursday that he supports changing Senate filibuster rules to pass a bill codifying abortion rights. “I believe we have to codify Roe v. Wade into law, and the way to do that is to make sure that the Congress …
Read More »Black activists take voting rights battle to Joe Manchin’s backyard
Errin Haines Originally published by The 19th The battle for voting rights came to West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin’s backyard this week, as the mustard seed-sized Black population of the state got reinforcements from across the country. A caravan of Black organizers pulled into Charleston Thursday for a late …
Read More »Senate Republicans Block Voting Rights Legislation
Senate Republicans blocked major voting rights legislation in a key procedural vote on Tuesday evening, launching a filibuster of a top priority for Democrats after the party locked down full support for the bill. In a 50-50 vote, Democrats failed to clinch the 60 votes needed on a motion to …
Read More »Vice Pres. Harris To Lead Administration’s Efforts On Voting Rights
President Joe Biden said this week that Vice President Kamala Harris would be taking point on voting rights for his administration. The move, announced during remarks at the Greenwood Cultural Center in Tulsa, Okla., to recognize the 100th anniversary of the city’s race massacre, puts into Harris’ portfolio a policy …
Read More »Senate Majority Leader Schumer To Force Vote On Election Reform Bill
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer wrote a letter to the Democratic caucus saying that he will force a vote on the For the People Act to overhaul elections next month. “In the last week of the June work period, the Senate will vote on S.1., the For the People Act, …
Read More »U.S. House Passes D.C. Statehood Bill, But Lacks Votes in Senate
For the second time, the U.S. House of Representatives has passed a measure to make the District of Columbia the 51st state, sending the historic bill to the Senate on a party-line vote. “We look forward to a swift vote in the Senate on this essential legislation,” House Speaker Nancy …
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