Mitch McConnell Opposes Voting Measure Sought By Joe Manchin
HuffPost
Manchin's opposition to a sweeping package of voting reforms has left Democrats scrambling to figure out a path forward on protecting voting rights.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) came out against the John Lewis Voting Rights Act on Tuesday, dealing a huge blow to a compromise voting measure sought by Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.). Manchin has irked his fellow Democratic colleagues over his opposition to the “For the People Act,” a package of sweeping voting and ethics reforms that Democrats have described as key to the survival of democracy. Federal voting changes, Manchin has argued, should be done on a bipartisan basis to instill confidence in elections. Instead, Manchin wants Congress to pass the John Lewis Voting Rights Act, another Democratic measure that is backed by Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska). That legislation, named after the late civil rights legend and Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.), is more narrowly tailored and would, in theory, address GOP efforts to restrict voting access at the state level.More Related News