Days after, President Joe Biden called for a Senate rule change to make way for the passage of voting rights legislation, and the White House is pushing for action. As the Senate Democratic caucus continues negotiations over a possible voting rights exception to the filibuster, White House Senior Advisor Cedric Richmond said Senators straddling the fence need to remember that voting rights are the bedrock of democracy.  

“The rules are a means to an end,” Richmond said. “The end here is voting rights in constitutional and free and fair elections, and we should not let a Senate rule that was rarely used for 100 years. 

He called this a defining moment in American history. As of Thursday, it’s unclear where the Senate Democratic caucus will fall on a vote for the rule change, with Sen. Kyrsten Sinema still publicly expressing opposition to even a narrow carve-out for voting rights. 

Combined into one bill, the Freedom to Vote: John R. Lewis Act passed the House along party lines Thursday with no Republicans joining in support. Once again, the fate of voting rights in America rests with the Senate.  Continue Reading