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BY SARA SWANN | When Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.V.) announced Sunday he would not vote in favor of the For the People Act, he dealt another critical blow to his party’s sweeping election overhaul legislation. But reformers haven’t given up hope.
Manchin put the focus squarely on the partisan divide: Democrats are pushing the legislation without any support from Republicans.
“Unfortunately, we now are witnessing that the fundamental right to vote has itself become overtly politicized,” Manchin wrote in an op-ed for the Charleston Gazette-Mail. “As such, congressional action on federal voting rights legislation must be the result of both Democrats and Republicans coming together to find a pathway forward or we risk further dividing and destroying the republic we swore to protect and defend as elected officials.”
Democracy reform advocates lambasted Manchin for focusing on the legislative process, rather than the substance of the bill. While his opposition creates a huge barrier for their cause, advocates remain determined to get the For the People Act across the finish line. (To read the full article, click here.)
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