A New Development in the Battle for S. 1

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FRED WERTHEIMER’S WEEKLY NOTE | March 25, 2021

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“The reforms in S. 1 have bipartisan support in the country. There is broad support from Democrats, Republicans, and independents.”

Earlier today, Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) issued a statement on the need for the Senate to address voting reforms and reforms to address “the disturbing role money plays in our democracy.”

This is an important development in the battle in the Senate for S. 1, the For the People Act, as Senator Manchin had not spoken on the reforms in S. 1 before. Senator Manchin will be needed to overcome a Republican filibuster in the Senate, if all Republicans continue to oppose the bill.

Democracy 21 thanked Senator Manchin for his strong statement in support of urgently needed voting and campaign finance reforms.

These areas of concern are addressed in S. 1, the For the People Act.

Senator Manchin said in his statement today: “A healthy democracy depends on a voting system that is accessible, free, fair, and secure.” This is the basis for the voting rights reforms in S. 1, and Senator Manchin expressed explicit support for a number of them in his statement.

Senator Manchin also expressed his concerns about the lack of transparency for money being spent in our elections and the damaging role that money is playing in our politics today.

Senator Manchin said: “Now, more and more lawmakers spend their time dialing for dollars, instead of legislating for their constituents. The never-ending battle to raise money to spend on reelection campaigns cheapens our elections to nothing more than financial transactions. That is why I have and will continually support changing our campaign finance rules.”

Senator Manchin called for bipartisan solutions to these problems, but also recognized there are a number of proposals with bipartisan support already in S. 1.

For decades, campaign finance, voting rights and other democracy reforms had bipartisan leaders and bipartisan support in Congress.

This changed after the Supreme Court decisions in Citizens United (2010) and Shelby County (2013). Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell has led congressional Republicans in stonewalling these reforms.

The reforms in S. 1 have bipartisan support in the country. There is broad support from Democrats, Republicans, and independents.  

It is congressional Republicans who have been uniformly opposing the reforms in S. 1 and H.R. 1, the House version of the bill.

If Senate Republicans continue to take this position, S. 1, a bill with broad, bipartisan support in the country, will have to be passed by Senate Democrats, as the House did in passing H.R. 1 earlier this month.

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