'Shame, shame, shame': Schumer and McConnell spar over federal voting rights legislation

As the Senate held its first hearing on a sweeping election and voting rights package, the chamber's leaders on Wednesday used the opportunity to argue over the need for the federal legislation.

In a rare move, the leaders of both parties, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, spoke before the Senate Rules Committee, as the committee met to consider the For the People Act, or S1. The broad package was passed by the House earlier this month and aims to expand voting access nationwide. In his defense of the federal legislation, Schumer slammed efforts by GOP-led state legislatures across the country to introduce bills that restrict voting rules. As of February, state legislators in 43 states have introduced more than 250 bills with restrictive voting provisions, according to a tally from the Brennan Center for Justice at New York University.