Senate Democrats reportedly eyeing reinvigorated voting rights push ahead of Jan. 6 anniversary


Facing pressure from the outside and an emotional week ahead, Senate Democrats are reportedly looking to "supercharge" stalled voting rights legislation, perhaps even using the Capitol riot anniversary to convince filibuster old guard Sens. Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.) and Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) to embrace legislative rule changes, Politico and The Hill report.
Sixty organizations appealed to Senate Democrats in a Monday letter to reform the filibuster and thus advance voting rights legislation that's been repeatedly thwarted by the 60-vote threshold required for most bills, writes The Hill. In the letter, the organizations argue that the December debt ceiling debacle — in which Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) "struck a deal to set up a one-time exemption to the 60-vote legislative filibuster," per The Hill — shows how lawmakers can circumvent the vexing threshold.
"Just as we needed to extend the debt limit to avoid economic calamity, we need to pass federal democracy and voting legislation to safeguard our democracy," reads the letter, led by pro-reform group Fix Our Senate.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Additionally, the U.S. Conference of Mayors will also release on Monday a bipartisan letter calling for the Senate to pass voting rights legislation.
Meanwhile, per Politico, Schumer and fellow Democrats are expected to argue this week that the increase in voting restrictions nationwide are a "direct result of the Jan. 6 riots and the Big Lie promulgated by former President Donald Trump," Politico writes. And though it will likely get filibustered by Republicans, Schumer is reportedly poised to bring a voting rights protections bill to the floor in the coming days.
But by tying the voting rights push and subsequent filibuster rule changes to the Capitol riot, Democrats are hopeful they can eventually win reform support from both Sinema and Manchin, even if Schumer's initial bill goes down.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Brigid Kennedy worked at The Week from 2021 to 2023 as a staff writer, junior editor and then story editor, with an interest in U.S. politics, the economy and the music industry.
-
5 hilariously pointed cartoons about the government shutdown blame game
Cartoons Artists take on finger guns, pants on fire, and more
-
October 11 editorial cartoons
Cartoons Saturday's political cartoons include exercising voting rights, weight-loss drugs for the military, and ICE at a job fair
-
Remaking the military: the war on diversity and ‘fat generals’
Talking Point The US Secretary of War addressed military members on ‘warrior ethos’
-
Could Democrats lose the New Jersey governor’s race?
Today’s Big Question Democrat Mikie Sherrill stumbles against Republican Jack Ciattarelli
-
Trump DOJ indicts New York AG Letitia James
Speed Read New York Attorney General Letitia James was indicted as Trump’s Justice Department pursues charges against his political opponents
-
Judge blocks Trump’s Guard deployment in Chicago
Speed Read The president is temporarily blocked from federalizing the Illinois National Guard or deploying any Guard units in the state
-
Gaza peace deal: why did Trump succeed where Biden failed?
Today's Big Question As the first stage of a ceasefire begins, Trump’s unique ‘just-get-it-done’ attitude may have proven pivotal to negotiations
-
Trump urges jail for Illinois, Chicago leaders
Speed Read The Texas National Guard begin operations in the Chicago area
-
Bondi stonewalls on Epstein, Comey in Senate face-off
Speed Read Attorney General Pam Bondi denied charges of using the Justice Department in service of Trump’s personal vendettas
-
Court allows Trump’s Texas troops to head to Chicago
Speed Read Trump is ‘using our service members as pawns in his illegal effort to militarize our nation’s cities,’ said Gov. J.B. Pritzker
-
Judge bars Trump’s National Guard moves in Oregon
Speed Read In an emergency hearing, a federal judge blocked President Donald Trump from sending National Guard troops into Portland