In a memo obtained by NPR, Senate Democrats say they've found a way to start debate on voting rights legislation. However, they still don't have a way forward for an actual floor vote.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., speaks during a news conference at the U.S. Capitol on Tuesday. Senate Democrats are trying to advance voting rights legislation, which would require changing Senate rules to pass. Past attempts to advance voting rights legislation to the floor of the Senate have failed, but Senate Democrats believe they have found a way past a procedural hurdle to at least start debate on voting rights legislation this week.
In a memo obtained by NPR, Democrats say that they plan to use existing Senate rules to open debate on two voting rights bills, the Freedom to Vote Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act. It takes 60 senators to agree to start debate on a bill, as well as end it, but the Senate can start consideration of a message from the House of Representatives with a simple majority vote.
So the House is expected to send both those bills to the Senate as part of a message. In a note to colleagues Wednesday night, Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said the House would pass the two measures, combined together, Thursday. "With this procedure, we will finally have an opportunity to debate voting rights legislation – something that Republicans have thus far denied," the memo stated."To ultimately end debate and pass the voting rights legislation, we will need 10 Republicans to join us – which we know from past experience will not happen – or we will need to change the Senate rules as has been done many times before," the memo stated.
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