Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin broke with the party on Sunday, declaring that he Won’t vote for the For the People Act.
Manchin, who represents West Virginia, clearly stated his opposition to the sweeping voting rights bill and said he wouldn’t support Democratic efforts to change filibuster rules to help push President Joe Biden’s schedule through an evenly divided Senate in an op-ed for the Charleston Gazette-Mail.
“I believe that partisan voting legislation will destroy the already weakening binds of our democracy and for that reason, I will vote against the For the People Act,” Manchin wrote. “Furthermore, I will not vote to weaken or eliminate the filibuster.”
The For the People Act comes with a broad assortment of provisions aimed at expanding access to ballots and end partisan gerrymandering of congressional districts such as automatic voter registration for those who qualify, ensuring that the right to vote for people who have completed felony sentences, improving federal support for unemployment security and tightening fundraising rules for superb PACs.
It was introduced by Rep. John Sarbanes, D-Md., in January in response to the 2020 presidential election, also passed in the House with a vote of 220-210 in March, with only one Democrat joining each the chamber’s Republicans in opposing the measure.
Manchin cited the lack of Republican support in announcing his opposition to the invoice, referencing GOP support for activities after the riot by fans of former President Donald Trump on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6.
“This more than 800-page bill has garnered zero Republican support. Why?” Manchin said. “Are the very Republican senators who voted to impeach Trump because of actions that led to an attack on our democracy unwilling to support actions to strengthen our democracy? Are these same senators, whom many in my party applauded for their courage, now threats to the very democracy we seek to protect?”
Manchin pushed instead for the Senate to push through the narrower John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, which has gained support from Rep. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska.
“The John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act would update the formula states and localities must use to ensure proposed voting laws do not restrict the rights of any particular group or population,” he said.
Manchin added that he doesn’t support weakening or eliminating the filibuster to pass the voting rights measures through the Senate without Republican support, citing resistance by Democratic senators when Trump sought to remove the rule in 2017. To end a filibuster, 60 votes are required.
“Do we really want to live in an America where one party can dictate and demand everything and anything it wants, whenever it wants?” said Manchin. “I have always said,’If I can not go home and explain it, I can not vote for it’ And I cannot explain strictly partisan election reform or blowing up the Senate rules to expedite one party’s agenda.”
Manchin’s op-ed prompted pushback from Democrats, who criticized him for holding up security for Republicans as both Florida and Georgia have implemented sweeping legislation limiting vote-by-mail and other kinds of unemployment and the Texas state Senate passed a bill limiting using mail-in ballots, limiting early voting hours and removing ballot drop boxes and drive-through voting places, prompting condemnation from President Joe Biden and a walkout by House Democrats.
“The unraveling of our fragile democracy is occurring right in front of our eyes and at breakneck speed,” Rep. Veronica Escobar, D-Texas composed on Twitter. “I can’t understand the Dems contributing to that demise by failing to respond urgently to voter suppression laws happening in states like mine.”
