On Tuesday, the ordinarily calm and collected Senate Rules Committee saw a historic tense showdown: the majority and minority leaders sparred over the Democrats' sweeping election and ethics bill.
Schumer and McConnell sparred with words
Chuck Schumer and Mitch McConnell both accused the other's faction of attempting to weaponize voting rules to increase electoral influence in a duel of remarks. They frequently spar informally on the floor, but the Schumer-McConnell display on Tuesday acted as a foreshadowing of a looming floor battle as Democrats press ahead with the elections bill they have assigned the symbolic number of S1.
The party's progressive base, in particular, considers the reforms to be a high priority. Democrats insist they need to move quickly to reel in legislation to restrict voting rights that Republican-controlled state legislatures have pushed. However, state election officials and Sen. Joe Manchin, whose vote is a must-have, are all resistant to the sprawling plan that the committee took up on Tuesday.
Schumer's testimony served to lift the stakes in a fight against Republican state laws that, in his words, bear the stench of oppression by restricting voting rights. "Are you going to stomp it out or are you going to let it spread? I urge my Republican colleagues to reconsider. Leader McConnell, I highly encourage you to rethink," he pleaded with the GOP, as per POLITICO.
Debate sparked as Schumer and McConnell chastised each argument
Similar arguments erupted soon after the markup started on Tuesday. Schumer linked Republican resistance to the bill to former President Donald Trump's false election claims and Democratic opposition to election security bills in state legislatures. In the meantime, McConnell chastised Democrats for changing their minds about whether they favor the bill over the years.
He went on to add that Republican-controlled state legislators have seized on Trump's argument that they no longer want to let the voters choose their politicians by passing legislation limiting ballot access. "They like lawmakers to choose their voters." In his opening speech, McConnell retorted that Democrats had already proposed the same measure, formally known as the "For the People Act," several times.
Several of the bill's clauses were also slammed by McConnell, who said that "Common protections such as voter identification would be overturned. Practices as absurd as ballot harvesting will be made compulsory from coast to coast," Fox News reported. He has defended state election security laws, which Schumer has criticized, claiming that Democrats have misrepresented them.
The back-and-forth between Senate leaders on Tuesday is likely to be just the beginning of a lengthy debate. Republicans expect to propose more than 100 amendments to the bill during the markup.
Manchin has advocated for a bipartisan approach to every electoral reform, as per NY Post. Some Democrats want to limit the bill to the most basic provisions to bring Republicans on the spot. Senators Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Kyrsten Sinema spoke with President Biden last week, as their votes are critical to the president's infrastructure bill being passed. According to the White House, Manchin visited the White House on Monday, while Sinema was scheduled to visit on Tuesday.
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