Posted on 06/21/2021 6:47:58 PM PDT by RandFan
Former President Obama said Monday that Congress needs to pass voting rights legislation before the 2022 midterm elections, or American democracy could be at risk.
"We can't wait until the next election because if we have the same kinds of shenanigans that brought about Jan. 6, if we have that for a couple more election cycles, we're going to have real problems in terms of our democracy long-term," said Obama.
Speaking on a call with grassroots supporters alongside former Attorney General Eric Holder, Obama said debate over the voting rights bill, known as the For the People Act, was worth it for him to engage in political debate, even as a former president.
"Since I left office I've tried to make a policy not to weigh in on the day-to-day scrum in Washington," said Obama.
"But what's happening this week is more than just a partisan bill coming up or not coming up to a vote," he added.
The Democratic voting rights proposal passed the House in March and is due this week to come under consideration by the Senate.
The bill does not have enough support to overcome a filibuster, which would require 10 GOP senators to back it. No Republican senators are now supporting the measure, which they have cast as a Democratic power-grab.
Democrats are still pushing the bill through, in an effort to highlight Republican opposition, despite changes made to the bill at the request of Sen. Joe Manchin (W.Va.), the most conservative member of the Democratic caucus.
Obama said those changes were made by "the most conservative Democrat in the Senate, or maybe in Congress — Joe Manchin of West Virginia — to come up with common sense reforms that a majority of Americans agree with, that Democrats and Republicans can agree with."
While Manchin has not committed to supporting the bill, he released a laundry list of voting rights initiatives he supports, for which he received a generally positive response from the rest of the party.
The bill's original text focuses on an expansion of access to voting, with provisions to require states to enact a minimum of 15 days of early voting and simplifying registration.
The bill would also overhaul campaign finance and set standards for redrawing electoral maps.
Manchin has voiced support for several of the voting access provisions and the ban on partisan gerrymandering, but is on the record in opposition to the bill, which he said is too broad and lacks Republican support.
Still, he's opened the door to supporting an amended bill that includes Republican priorities, leaving the possibility of the bill going down in a 50-50 vote.
Left with few other options, Democrats are pushing for that result, which they believe will highlight Republican intransigence and potentially shake up gridlocked Senate politics.
"Despite what you may have heard, we believe there is a path forward for this bill to get passed," said Holder, who is now chairman of the National Democratic Redistricting Committee, which organized the call.
Obama took shots at the filibuster, the Senate rule that mandates a 60-vote threshold for a bill to receive a final vote in the upper chamber.
Progressive calls to nix the rule have grown as Republican opposition has slowed President Biden's legislative agenda, while centrists like Manchin continue to defend the filibuster as a guarantor of political minority rights.
Obama said the filibuster is not in the Constitution, and it "allows a determined minority of senators to block legislation supported by the vast majority of Americans."
As usual, white liberal 'elites' are only helping themselves as they are the people who benefit from voter fraud.
It is patently clear the marxists must cheat to win.
They do stand to be struck down in God’s own way.
Seems to me Obama is very worried about the mid-terms. And, he should be. With all the attention on the Fraud The Swamp pulled off in 2020 it will be very very difficult to pull that oss twice in a row.
If it HR1 did pass, it would be the end of America as a democracy or any representation of a democracy. Biden’s five advisors will have the means to install a socialist government and destroy us
What if 0bama passed before the next election?
His time is short
If legislation he supports isn't instantly approved, there will be catastrophic, horrifying consequences.
Every time.
Yeah, cheating like 2020 is hard work and people might be wise to it this time. Better enshrine it permanently into law.
With Schumer, now Obama and doubtless more criminals hitting this so hard, the Dems must be planning some really big sleight of hand. Watch out for what they’re NOT saying, NOT talking about.
LIAR! Tell everybody the “TRUTH” frank marshall davis jr!
He has always had contempt for “ordinary” people. I will never know how he won two terms. He’s a good liar I’ll give him that
China never gave any thought about communism until they say how the democrats operated.
Yes, it might threaten the Dems' ability to cheat. Can't have that.
Unfortunately, it is not fundamentally unconstitutional. Scotus might or might not shoot down portions.
See Article I Section 4 “times, places, and manner” clause.
It is in there because under the Articles of Confederation, the states often did not send delegates to Congress. The 1787 Framers couldn't be sure the states would hold congressional elections, so the new government reserved the power to make sure the states attended to their duty.
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