Manchin to oppose voting rights bill pushed by U.S. Senate colleagues
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[June 07, 2021]
By Sarah N. Lynch
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -West Virginia
Democratic Senator Joe Manchin, a crucial swing vote in the U.S. Senate,
announced on Sunday he intends to oppose a sweeping voting rights bill
backed by the majority of his fellow Democrats that would expand access
to voting across the United States.
Speaking on "Fox News Sunday," Manchin said the bill, known as the For
the People Act, "is the wrong piece of legislation to bring our country
together and unite our country, and I'm not supporting that because I
think it will divide us further."
Manchin is key to control of the U.S. Senate, which is divided equally
between Democrats and Republicans. He has at times proven to be a thorn
in the Biden administration's side by crossing party lines to oppose
legislation or block White House appointees.
He has also continually opposed efforts to eliminate the filibuster,
which would make it easier for Democrats to pass legislation.
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Manchin's intention to oppose the voting rights bill if it is brought to
the Senate floor will complicate matters for Majority Leader Chuck
Schumer, who has vowed to advance the legislation despite having no
support from Republicans.
The bill would require states to expand mail-in voting, which was used
widely in last year's presidential election because of the coronavirus
pandemic, and it would also lengthen the hours of in-person balloting.
Democratic Senator Jeff Merkley of Oregon, the lead sponsor of the For
the People Act, said in a statement he is disappointed by Manchin's
position, but he would not give up.
"I am open to any conversation about the provisions of this bill, and
will not give up on American democracy," he said.
Republican-controlled state legislatures in places such as Texas and
Georgia have since sought to greatly scale back mail-in voting, as
former President Donald Trump has continued to make false claims that
the 2020 election was stolen.
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![](../images/060721pics/news_a1.jpg)
Sen. Joe Manchin, D-WV., speaks during a visit of U.S. first lady
Jill Biden to a vaccination centre at Capital High School in
Charleston, West Virginia, U.S., May 13, 2021. Oliver Contreras/Pool
via REUTERS
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Manchin outlined in greater detail his opposition to
the voting rights bill in an op-ed published on Sunday in the
Charleston Gazette-Mail, saying he is concerned by the total lack of
Republican support for the measure.
"Voting and election reform that is done in a partisan manner will
all but ensure partisan divisions continue to deepen," he wrote.
Manchin said he would throw his support behind an alternative voting
bill that has received broader bipartisan support, called the John
Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act.
Named for the late Congressman John Lewis, the bill would restore
the need for certain states and counties to see approval from the
federal government before re-drawing voting districts, a legal
requirement that was struck down by the U.S. Supreme Court in its
landmark 2013 Shelby County v. Holder decision.
"My Republican colleague, Sen. Lisa Murkowski, has joined me in
urging Senate leadership to update and pass this bill through
regular order," he wrote.
He also attacked Democrats for seeking to eliminate the filibuster,
saying "absolute power corrupts absolutely."
"What I’ve seen during my time in Washington is that every party in
power will always want to exercise absolute power, absolutely. Our
founders were wise to see the temptation of absolute power and built
in specific checks and balances to force compromise that serves to
preserve our fragile democracy," he wrote.
(Reporting by Sarah N. LynchEditing by Alistair Bell and Grant
McCool)
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