The late night showdown on voting rights in the U.S. Senate on Wednesday ended With West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin and Arizona Democrat Kyrsten Sinema defecting from their party and blocked a filibuster that would have allowed a special carve out to save two voting rights packages. The vote was 50-50.
Here is how they got there. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, knowing this was doomed to fail, forced a vote to change Senate rules for a “carve-out” on the filibuster for this issue. That vote was 50-50. But then, just as they said they would, Manchin and Sinema aligned with Republicans, shattering Schumer’s strategy to move forward with les than the required two-thirds failed in a vote of 48-52.
A day before the death ail was slammed into the coffin, Senate Minority had a slip of the tongue where he looked at Blacks as if they were not from the U.S., saying "Blacks vote just as much as Americans." McConnell and his caucus are resigned to believe voting reform us unnecessary.
Instead of coming up with another sound strategy Democrats have wasted more time seemingly to who on the historic record that they attempted to save voting rights.
We won't state the obvious about what happens next. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has stated that she will not bring a vote to the floor without the assurance that it will pass. (Perhaps Schumer should follow her example.)
SEN. CHUCK SCHUMER SAYs "WE HAVE TO KEEP MARCHING"
In his response to the loss, Senate Majority Leader responded to criticism for having the vote knowing he would lose and expressing his pride in fighting on. He stated, "Democrats are proud of the fight we had last night," To have not voted, would have been a far greater loss, he added.