President Joe Biden called out two fellow Democrats on Tuesday in explaining why he hasn’t enacted some of the most ambitious elements of his agenda, noting that slim majorities in the House and evenly divided Senate have hamstrung legislative negotiations around key issues like voting rights.
Biden, speaking during an event marking the 100th anniversary of the Tulsa race massacre, responded to critics who question why he hasn’t been able to get a wide-reaching voting rights bill passed.
“Well, because Biden only has a majority of effectively four votes in the House, and a tie in the Senate — with two members of the Senate who voted more with my Republican friends,” he lamented.
It appeared to be a veiled reference to Democratic Sens. Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona, both of whom have frustrated Democrats with their defense of the filibuster — the rule requiring most legislation to win 60 votes to pass, making many of Democrats’ biggest priorities like voting rights and gun control bills dead on arrival in the 50-50 Senate. While Sinema is a sponsor of the voting rights bill that passed the House, known as the For the People Act, Manchin has refused to sign on, calling the measure “too broad.”
But in fact, it’s not just Manchin and Sinema who oppose doing away with the filibuster — as many as 10 Democratic senators are reluctant to change the rules even for must-pass legislation like the voting rights bill. Biden himself has not said he wants to end the filibuster.
What’s unclear is whether Biden’s comments will changes senators’ views. The president’s remarks come as senators are facing tough choices ahead as pressure mounts for changes.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., told colleagues he would be bringing the voting rights bill to a vote the week of June 21, in effect testing where senators stand. Schumer warned in a letter to colleagues last week to brace for the month ahead. “The June work period will be extremely challenging,” Schumer told them. He said it would “test our resolve” as Congress.
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Despite the logjam in Congress, Biden promised further action to address what he described as “a tireless assault on the right to vote,” comments that came in response to the latest effort by a state legislature to pass a law restricting voting access, this time in Texas. He said he would “fight like heck, with every tool at my disposal” to ensure the passage of the For the People Act when the Senate takes it up this month. He tasked Vice President Kamala Harris with leading the administration’s efforts to defend voting rights.
In a statement, Harris said she plans to work with voting rights groups, community organizations and the private sector to strengthen voting rights, as well as push for passage of voting rights legislation on Capitol Hill.
“The work ahead of us is to make voting accessible to all American voters, and to make sure every vote is counted through a free, fair, and transparent process. This is the work of democracy,” she said in the statement.
Biden also called on voting rights groups to “redouble” their efforts to register and educate voters and said June should be a “month of action” on Capitol Hill.
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AP Congressional Correspondent Lisa Mascaro in Washington contributed to this report.
© 2021 The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.
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IF there is any hope of the Democrat Party being redeemed, this could be a critical first step—but I need to see a heck of a lot more in order to be convinced. So Dems, stand your ground here.
Son = redemption/reconciliation is a foundational principle of most religions (at least Evangelical Christianity – can’t/won’t speak for any other system) so yes there is always hope. Unfortunately that ‘party of the people’ has booed God at most of their recent conventions so they have a long way to go……………..
God would have spared Sodom but for 10 righteous men. He apparently is saving much of America but for 1 honest Democrat in the Senate and 10 in the House. Joe might just try putting forth bills that actually describe what he names them,,,,Like that 1.9 trillion “American rescue plan” designed for infrastructure of which only 10% has anything to do with infrastructure, and even less for COVID,,,or the “ Voting Rights Bill” that wrongs honest people with proper IDs who can prove they are legitimate voters denied the power of their legitimate vote, now cancelled by illegal aliens, vote bought criminals and ex cons and any social derelict dragged off the street to sign a mail in ballot, or vote 15 times with a different name of someone usually recently dead.
Joe, and most of his party of socialists who live only in the image of the great Consumer, just can’t seem to cull out of his party, those inconvenient truth seeking people who chose to live in the image of their Creator, who populate much more of his party than anything Joe and his kind can root out. God is watching him from a distance which is becoming much more up close and personal than Joe’s comfort zone can withstand.
Two Dems. Joe Manchin has always been a reasonable person, he’s a Democrat along with Sinema and a few others. The rest are Commiecrats.
WHICH in WVa is surprising to me, HOW SUCH a dem can remain in office, with how conservative the state seems to be.
Perhaps, Joe, if you’re policies/agenda were POPULAR, you would have support within Congress!
Yes if your agenda and your policies were sane, congress would have some support! His agenda, policies, and his 100 days have been one disaster after another.
Marie, he’s like many tyrants. THEY CARE NOT HOW liked or good their policies are. THEY JUST DEMAND everyone support them…..
I just turned to page 17 of my “Liberal To Reality” Translation Converter : I see under definition of “Voter’s Rights” it says “Voter Fraud” (i.e. For The People Act)
The RESOLVE of the Congress should be for the good of ALL American citizen and nnot the Democrat Party to win elections. Our gerrymandered district, once Republican, elected what was a levelheaded person who supported many of President Trump’s policies until ‘persuaded’ around the time of impeachment. VP Harris compounded the lie when talking about tranparency, we saw how that worked in 2020.
Hey Joe Biden, You are an assault on the rights of voters, because you embrace corruption and fraud, with regard to the vote, just like Joseph Stalin. Come to think of it, I think we should rename you to Joseph Stalin II.
I second that motion!
THE DEMENTED ONE THINKS HE CAN “DEMAND” OBEDIENCE FROM HIS MINIONS, AND THANK GOD HE IS NOT. hopefully more will go against him, until at least the 2022 elections, where we can regain the congress.
First of all, senile puke Joe has no republican friends. The few RINOs in the senate don’t count as republicans and some of those will be finished in 2022. I’m happy Manchin is standing his ground but I’m surprised by the democrat from Arizona. Guess she realizes most of Arizona is red so if she wants to keep her job she’d better go against the 2 senile pukes, Joe and Chucky.
I would strongly suggest that Ms. Sinema and Mr. Manchin consult very closely with their respective constituents before caving in to Biden’s plans. I think either of those two would be toast in their next elections if they do so. My hope is that because neither of them are that close to retirement age they will exercise their instinct of survival.