Although passed in the House, the legislation is likely to pose an obstacle in the Senate, where it is unclear whether there would be enough Republican support to overcome an obstruction.
Senate majority leader Chuck Schumer said on Wednesday that he will present the Senate version of the People’s Law after the March 24 hearings. The New York Democrat also criticized the Republican Party’s efforts to restrict access to voting by state lawmakers, saying they were similar to Jim Crow’s laws.
“It is not democracy when you take away people’s rights by passing Jim Crow laws. This is not democracy – this is dictatorship, and this is where our Republican friends seem to be going,” he said.
“When you lose an election, what you do in a democracy is to try to win over people who did not vote for you, not to stop them from voting. This is autocratic, this is undemocratic. This is anti-American, and it is nothing short, though despicable, disagreeable – and in many cases racist, “said Schumer.
But the legislation, under current Senate rules, is unlikely to move forward. According to the rules, 60 votes are needed to stop the debate or end the “obstruction” of the legislation – giving Republicans now in the minority a powerful tool to block voting measures and other Democratic priorities. The chamber has a 50-50 party split with Vice President Kamala Harris in a position to break ties.
Schumer challenged Republicans to join Democrats in supporting the legislation, warning that “failure is not an option”.
“We will see if our Republican friends will join us,” he said. “If they don’t join us, our caucus will come together and decide the appropriate action to take everything on the table. Failure is not an option.”
When pressed about whether an obstruction overhaul might be necessary for the project’s approval, Schumer pointed out that “everything is on the table”.
The voting rights package is basically the same as the version approved during the last Congress. This would prevent states from restricting voting capacity by mail and, among other provisions, would require states to use independent redistricting commissions to create congressional district boundaries. The new bill also includes measures to protect against foreign interference in elections.
The plan for the End Citizens United / Let America Vote and the National Democratic Redistricting Committee is to spend $ 20 million on a digital advertising campaign and on television and $ 10 million in a popular effort to try to get the legislation passed.
The ad campaign is expected to launch initially in Alaska, Arizona, Georgia, Maine and Pennsylvania and will eventually expand to 12 to 15 states. The grassroots effort is expected to include calls and emails to senators, outreach to local activists and funding for national and state partners to enlist its members on the spur.
Adam Bozzi, vice president of communications for End Citizens United / Let America Vote, told CNN earlier this week that the group’s efforts will be aimed at both Democrats and Republicans, but reiterated that its ultimate goal is to ensure that the project is approved, whether or not it gains bipartisan support.
“We are going to run for the Republicans,” said Bozzi, but “whether with 60 votes or some procedural change, we need to put this project in a position to pass.”
CNN’s Sara Murray, Fredreka Schouten, Annie Grayer and Clare Foran contributed to this report.