Senate blocks voting bill for the third time this year

A vote on a bill that includes sweeping regulations on voting rights failed in the Senate Wednesday afternoon. This is the third time a voting bill has failed to pass in the Senate this year.

On the Senate floor Wednesday, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell called the voting bill, known as the Freedom to Vote Act, an “election takeover scheme”.

“The latest umpteenth iteration (of the bill) is only a compromise in the sense that the left and the far-left argued among themselves about exactly how much power to grab and in which areas,” Sen. McConnell said. “The same rotten core is all still there.”

Vice President Kamala Harris expressed disappointment in the Senate following the failed voting bill vote. The video above shows her comments.

“The United States Senate and members of the United States Senate had an opportunity to uphold the importance of every American’s right to exercise their fundamental right in a democracy, which is the right to vote,” Vice President Harris said. “We’re not going to give up. We’re not deterred. But there’s still a lot of work to do, and I think it’s really a sad day.”

In June, President Joe Biden announced Harris would lead the administration’s efforts on voting rights. The effort is in response to state lawmakers across the country pushing for passing tighter voting restrictions.

In a statement ahead of the vote, President Biden implored the Senate to take action, saying “Democracy – the very soul of America – is at stake.”

“It should be simple and straightforward. Let there be a debate and let there be a vote,” Biden said.

Earlier in the week, White House press secretary Jen Psaki also hinted that Biden may be softening his opposition to filibuster changes to get the voting bill through the Senate.

“Are (Republicans) going to protect this fundamental right? Or are they going to continue to be obstreperous — to use a word the president has used in the past — and put Democrats in a position where there’s no alternative but to find another path forward?” Psaki said Monday.

It appears at least one senator is softening his opposition to changing filibuster rules. Independent Sen. Angus King said he “concluded that democracy itself is more important than any Senate rule”.

However, he acknowledged weakening the filibuster could be a “double-edged sword” if Republicans take over the Senate. In addition, key Democratic senators, including Sens. Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema, still oppose changing filibuster rules.