Democrats have spent months touting an expansive proposal that would reshape U.S. elections. But with the bill’s Senate prospects growing more dire, key members of the Congressional Black Caucus are pushing to narrow their strategy.
“I certainly think our focus ought to be on [the Lewis bill] and voting rights,” said Rep. Anthony Brown , a member of the CBC. "You would think that that would provide a real good opportunity for a handful of Democratic senators who want to hold onto the filibuster [to say] 'Yes, we can do it on this John Lewis Voting Rights [Act].'”
Those protections were eliminated after the Supreme Court struck down the Voting Rights Act's so-called pre-clearance formula in 2013. That decision allowed many states to change their election laws without prior federal approval, including several southern states that drew criticism from voting rights advocates.
“The [Supreme] Court is calling on us to update the formula and so that's what we're trying to do,” said Rep. G.K. Butterfield , a CBC member who chairs the House Administration subcommittee overseeing federal elections. “You cannot just snap your fingers and update a formula. You’ve got to collect evidence” before a new version of the bill is released, he added.
Democratic aides close to talks on the legislation insist that any concerns can be addressed in hypothetical conference talks.on a much slower timetable
Pass them both!
🙏
Shouldn’t Politico be writing about why not a single Republican is going to vote for this or do they get a pass in favor of “Dems in disarray” framed stories like this?