Historic Voting Rights Legislation, Filibuster Reform Fail to Pass in the U.S. Senate

The U.S. Senate had the power on Wednesday to protect the right to vote by passing the “Freedom to Vote: John R. Lewis Act.” However, the historic measure failed on a 50-50 Senate vote, since 60 votes were needed for it to pass. No Republicans voted for it.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer changed his vote to “no” for procedural reasons, making the official tally for cutting off debate 51-49 against – 11 votes short of the needed 60.

Senators Joe Manchin (WV) and Kyrsten Sinema (AZ) then blocked the Democrats’ attempt to reform the filibuster rule, which would have allowed them to pass the voting rights legislation by a simple majority of 51 votes, rather than 60. The filibuster reform vote failed 52-48.

Passing the voting rights measure would have restored key protections of the Voting Rights Act, strengthened vote-by-mail, expanded automatic voter registration and same day registration, protected voters and election workers from intimidation, and also preserved the nation's democracy in other ways.

Nineteen state legislatures passed 34 laws aimed at suppressing the vote in 2021, making national legislation crucial.

“Seniors realize the seriousness of this situation,” said Richard Fiesta, Executive Director of the Alliance. “Retirees in particular have worked long and hard to preserve the fundamental right to vote. They were there for the battle for civil rights in the 1960s and they are here for this fight in 2022. This struggle is about racial justice, justice for seniors, and more.”

“If ever there were a time to sideline the filibuster and preserve our democracy, this was it,” Fiesta added. 

President Biden and House Democratic leadership have vowed to keep fighting to pass voting rights protections. A bipartisan group of senators have already begun talks to update the Electoral Count Act of 1887 to clarify the role the vice president and Congress play in certifying presidential elections. The bipartisan Senate discussions, which would offer protections not as comprehensive as those that failed, are still in their early stages but are expected to gain steam after the broader elections and voting reforms failed.

Democrats Urge Scaled-Back Build Back Better Act

Democrats in the House of Representatives continue to explore every possible avenue to pass a version of President Biden’s Build Back Better Act this year.

After the $2.2 trillion Build Back Better Act passed the House back with multiple provisions to lower drug prices and other benefits for seniors in November, it faced stiff opposition from Sen. Manchin. That opposition has pushed many House Democrats to acknowledge that any new version of the bill will have to be scaled back in size and scope.

With Manchin already on record endorsing major components of the bill, like cutting prescription drug costs, many of the House Democrats seem increasingly willing to accept concessions.  

“The Alliance fully supported the Build Back Better Act that passed the House,” said Joseph Peters, Jr., Secretary-Treasurer of the Alliance. “However, reining in prescription drug prices is too important to just give up. As long as Americans pay the highest prices in the world for prescription drugs and seniors are bearing the brunt of it, the Alliance will keep working with lawmakers to address the situation.” 

Free COVID-19 Test Kits are Now Available from the U.S. Postal Service

Covidtests.gov, a new website from the federal government, launched on Wednesday to provide free COVID-19 test kits to every American household.

Each household is eligible to order up to four tests, completely free of charge, at https://special.usps.com/testkits. The tests can also be ordered by phone at 1-800-232-0233.

The free tests are set to be delivered by the United States Postal Service, with orders usually shipping in seven to twelve days. Shipments will also be prioritized for Americans living in ZIP codes that have demonstrated high rates of COVID-19 cases and deaths.

“Regular testing is another way for us to keep seniors safe during these unprecedented times,” said Robert Roach, Jr., President of the Alliance. “There is a ‘Frequently Asked Questions’ link at www.covidtests.gov to make ordering the free test kits as easy as possible.”

Supreme Court Decision Upholds Vaccine Rule for Most Nursing Home, Health Care Workers

In a 6-3 decision last week, the U.S. Supreme Court blocked a U.S. Department of Labor emergency rule that would have required all businesses with 100 or more employees to be vaccinated for COVID-19 or be tested weekly.

At the same time, in a 5-4 decision, the Court upheld a rule from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) that requires vaccination for nearly all employees of nursing homes, hospitals and other federally funded health care facilities. 

CMS guidance issued last Friday following the decision means that health care workers in 24 states where vaccine mandates were not yet in effect must receive at least one shot of a coronavirus vaccine within 30 days and must be fully vaccinated by March 15. The decision will affect about 10 million people at about 76,000 health care facilities participating in the Medicaid and Medicare program, including hospitals and long-term care facilities.

The week before the ruling, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had reported that roughly 16 percent of nursing home staff nationally were not fully vaccinated.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recommends vaccination as one of the most effective ways of keeping seniors safe from COVID-19. Vaccines have been proven to dramatically lower the risk of severe Covid infection for those residing in nursing homes and other long-term care facilities. 

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