Democrats push for party unity as GOP unites to block voting rights bill

Senate Democrats scrambled on Thursday to unite behind a sweeping election reform bill ahead of a vote on the measure next week.

Capitol Hill -- Senate Democrats scrambled on Thursday to unite behind a sweeping election reform bill ahead of a vote on the measure next week, with a key member of their caucus signaling a willingness to support them as Republicans present a united front in opposition. "Our goal remains crystal clear: Protect the right to vote, strengthen our democracy, and put a stop to the tide of voter suppression flooding across our country," said Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., who announced a Tuesday vote that would start debate on the bill titled the For the People Act. "Republican state legislatures are conducting the most sweeping attack on the right to vote since the beginning of Jim Crow," Schumer said. Fourteen states have passed restrictive voting laws this year and nearly 400 bills have been filed in 48 states, according to the Brennan Center for Justice, a nonpartisan law and policy institute.