Joe Biden will announce his support for changing Senate rules as a way to move voting rights legislation forward, although he’s not backing an elimination of the filibuster, according to multiple press reports.
Biden will speak in Atlanta Tuesday to describe the legislation’s consideration as “a” “turning point in this nation.”
“Will we choose democracy over autocracy, light over shadow, justice over injustice?”Biden intends to speak. “I know where I stand. I will not yield. I will not flinch. I will defend your right to vote and our democracy against all enemies foreign and domestic. And so the question is where will the institution of United States Senate stand?”
Biden endorses a “carve out”The filibuster rule, which requires 60 votes to get legislation to the Senate floor, is a reason why the bill must be changed. This is because of its importance to democracy. The John Lewis Voting Rights Act, and the Freedom to Vote Act have been pushed by Democrats as essential reforms. This is partly due to restrictions Republican-led States have placed on voting after the 2020 presidential election.
Chuck Schumer, Senate Majority Leader, has set Monday Martin Luther King Day as the deadline for voting on any rules changes.
The latest push to pass legislation is still in doubt. Unified Republican opposition would likely oppose any modification to Senate rules. This would leave Democrats with only 50 votes to approve such a change. However, Senator Joe Manchin (D.WV) and Senator Kyrsten Silena (D.AZ) opposed such changes, making their support uncertain.
Nevertheless, Biden’s speech in Atlanta, where he will be joined by a number of elected officials, civil rights leaders and voting rights advocates, is expected to help the White House highlight the issue. Following a meeting at Ebenezer Baptist Church and with members of Martin Luther King Jr’s family, Biden will give a speech at Morehouse College.
Jen Psaki, White House Press secretary, said Monday to reporters that Biden will also address the events on January 6th 2021. This was following his speech commemorating the one year anniversary of the Capitol siege. She stated that he would. “describe this as one of the rare moments in a country’s history when time stops and the essential is immediately ripped away from the trivial, and that we have to ensure January 6th doesn’t mark the end of democracy but the beginning of a renaissance for our democracy where we stand up for the right to vote and have that vote counted fairly, not undermined by partisans afraid of who you voted for or try to reverse an outcome.”