WASHINGTON, June 23 (Reuters) - Democrats in the U.S. Congress suffered a
bruising defeat in their drive to pass a major election reform bill but
said there are more tools at their disposal to overcome Republican efforts
in several states to roll back expanded voting procedures.

"It will be a long march but it's one we are going to make," Senate
Majority Leader Chuck Schumer proclaimed after Democrats voted in
lock-step on Tuesday to launch a debate on voting rights legislation - but
still fell 10 votes short of advancing such a bill, thanks to the 60-vote
threshold required by filibuster rules.

https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-democrats-vow-long-march-toward-voting-rights-reforms-2021-06-23/

Given Senate Republicans' solid opposition, Schumer has a tough battle
ahead. Although he did not detail next steps, there have been hints along
the way.

For example, Senator Dick Durbin, the No. 2 Democrat, this week spoke of
breaking up a voting rights initiative into smaller bits that might test
Republican resolve.

Democrats employed tough rhetoric to underscore how important they think
it is to establish national standards for voting, before the 2022 midterm
elections when Republicans seek to regain majorities in the House and
Senate.

"Our American Democracy is in peril, and today, every single Senate
Republican voted against saving it. Democrats will not be deterred in our
fight,” House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi said in a statement.
"Our Republic is at a crossroads, and it is up to us to save it."

Senate Republicans have argued that Washington ought to stay out of
states' decisions on how they conduct their elections for president and
Congress.

Republicans have justified the new laws by citing former President Donald
Trump's false claim that widespread fraud led to his November election
defeat. Numerous court decisions have repudiated that claim, as did
Trump's own administration.

Democratic Senator Amy Klobuchar told reporters on Tuesday that she is
continuing to negotiate with moderate Democratic Senator Joe Manchin over
the details of a compromise proposal he has floated.

That could become the basis for another Senate vote.

Klobuchar praised Manchin's efforts and said he has used an "expansive
definition" of what would qualify for voter identification he wants
included in a bill and has agreed to other elements important to Democrats.

Democrats also could pursue a bill that would restore Washington's
oversight of certain states' changes to election laws and build a more
expansive voting rights bill upon that. Some Republicans are on record as
potentially supporting the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, named
after the late civil rights leader and Democratic congressman.

Klobuchar said after Tuesday's vote that she would launch a series of
field hearings to examine the impact of Republican efforts to toughen
voting laws in various states. Those hearings could help guide Schumer's
decision on future moves.

Hanging over this effort will be the most controversial move Schumer could
take: An attempt to change or kill the long-standing "filibuster" rule,
which now gives minority Senate Republicans the ability to repel
Democrats' legislative initiatives, as they did on Tuesday.

Under the filibuster, at least 60 votes are needed in the 100-member
Senate to advance legislation.

To change the rule, all 50 Democrats and independents would have to vote
yes - a step that Manchin and Senator Kyrsten Sinema so far have opposed..

### - lol are you fuckin' KIDDING me or wot??

a bill to ENSURE that EVERY american has the absolute RIGHT to vote didn't
pass???

LOL !

so much for the world being a so-called 'democracy' then!?

fuck me! it's outrageous!

it's a democracy folks! honest it is! YOUR vote counts!!!

riiiiiight....

"we don't live in a democracy, we live in a hypocrisy!" --malcomb x
(nailed that didn't he huh)

ah well, at least now we KNOW what we're dealin' with huh...

a BLATANT pile of wallyworld shit?? LOL ! :)))

in yer face and rub your fuckin' nose in it... BLATANT!

damn...

lol it's gonna be 'hard' to live THIS one down ya know haha :D

coz history was MADE today!

plus let's see if biden is up to correcting it eh? (should be good)

i dunno: summat like an overall executive presidential order that makes
voting mandatory across all states? maybe even an amendment to the
constitution? he can't possibly leave it as it is!?

very interesting actually...

this could be a turning point!