参议员乔·曼钦与民主党人决裂，支持一项更有分寸的投票权法案，以取代全面的民主党投票改革多数党领袖查克·舒默将该法案列为核心小组的首要任务。
这位来自西弗吉尼亚州的民主党人独家告诉美国广播公司新闻，他打算支持约翰·刘易斯投票权法案，一个更狭义的投票权立法，他说他相信能够获得两党的支持尽管投票立法正在成为两党之间的一个闪光点。
曼钦对美国广播公司新闻记者雷切尔·斯科特(Rachel Scott)说:“我相信民主党人和共和党人对保护投票箱有着强烈的感觉，让人们能够保护投票权，让它变得容易获得，让它变得公平和安全，还有约翰·刘易斯投票权法案，如果我们把它应用于所有50个州和地区，这是可以做到的——这是应该做到的。”"这可以通过两党合作来恢复对我们系统的信心."
曼钦是在民主党领导的投票改革法案《为了人民法案》遭到争议后宣布这一消息的。僵持不下在规则委员会。
民主党人支持该法案，认为这是在共和党占主导地位的州反对州一级投票法改革的必要步骤，他们说，这些州的投票法旨在压迫主要是少数族裔、贫困和年轻的选民。
参议院多数党领袖舒默在谈到投票权法律时说:“这些法律是关于一件事，而且仅仅是一件事就使美国人更难投票。在我看来，他们应该受到谴责，在大多数人看来，他们是反民主的，他们身上散发着压迫的恶臭。”pic.twitter.com/3vWu6gCJQZ
——美国广播公司新闻政治(@美国广播公司政治)2021年5月11日
《为人民服务法案》提出了主要的选举降低投票障碍的改革，包括自动选民登记，要求在选举日进行选民登记，改革不公平选区划分和竞选财政法。
共和党人发誓要反对它。少数党领袖米奇·麦康奈尔(Mitch McConnell)将其称为“一党接管我们的政治体系”。
参议院少数党领袖麦康奈尔在谈到投票权法律时说:“投票条例只是开始，这项立法将故意把联邦选举委员会变成一个党派民主党小组。”https://t.co/fnZQEy9rEApic.twitter.com/gCCzCPGSRN
——美国广播公司新闻政治(@美国广播公司政治)2021年5月11日
曼钦说，周二的加价向他表明，他已经表示不支持的稳健的民主党法案，没有希望获得必要的60票通过。
“不管提出什么，都是党派投票，9比9，”曼钦说。“我认为，这是我们能够做的最重要的事情之一，我们可以努力让我们的国家重新团结起来，如果我们以党派的方式这样做，我相信这不会成功。”
几周来，曼钦一直表示，他认为民主党的提议过于笼统。约翰·刘易斯投票权法案对投票改革采取了一种更狭隘的方法。
其主要目标是将最高法院于2013年驳回的1965年《选举权法案》法案中的关键措施重新落实到位。该法案实施了一个联邦程序，以审查全国任何管辖区投票规则的变化，着眼于具有历史歧视性的措施。
该法案在众议院上届会议上获得通过，但从未在参议院付诸表决。
到目前为止，还没有参议院共和党人出来支持这项立法，但曼钦说，他已经与共和党同事谈过了，他看到了一条前进的道路。
他发誓除非得到两党的支持，否则他不会将他的法案提交讨论。
他如此致力于两党合作他发誓不会采取其他措施让参议院以简单多数通过立法。
例如，曼钦说，他不会支持使用和解来推动约翰·刘易斯投票权法案。和解是一种程序工具，可以让参议院绕过通过立法所需的通常60票门槛。
他也不会支持对参议院阻挠议事规则的一次性改变，尽管一些倡导者提出了请求。
“如果你做了一次，你基本上摧毁了我们所知的参议院，”曼钦说。
曼钦鼓励正常使用委员会和修正程序。他称在《为人民服务法案》中使用这一程序令人鼓舞，但他表示，民主党人应该寻找他们可以共同前进的地方。
“如果你有另一条路可以走，为什么不走那条?”他说。
曼钦会见了众议院多数党领袖吉姆·克莱伯恩和参议员拉斐尔·沃诺克。，在最近几周讨论他对参议院阻挠议事的立场。
曼钦称这些立法者是“非常好的爱国者”，他们已经告知了他在这件事上的立场。
“这是关于国家的，”曼钦说。“这是关于系统的公平性。如果我们国家的投票系统不安全，不能向所有人开放和开放，不能为所有人提供保护，无论你是什么种族，无论你有什么偏好——你不仅有权利，而且有责任投票，我们不应该让你感到困难。”
Manchin to support measured voting reform in lieu of sweeping Democratic proposal
Sen. Joe Manchin is breaking with Democrats and throwing his weight behind a more measured voting rights bill in lieu of thesweeping Democratic voting reformbill that Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has labeled a top priority of the caucus.
The Democrat from West Virginia told ABC News exclusively that he intends to support theJohn LewisVoting Rights Act, a more narrowly tailored piece of voting rights legislation that he said he believescould muster bipartisan supporteven as voting legislation is becoming a flash point between the two parties.
"I believe Democrats and Republicans feel very strongly about protecting the ballot boxes allowing people to protect the right to vote making it accessible making it fair and making it secure and the John Lewis Voting Rights Act, if we apply that to all 50 states and territories, it's something that can be done -- it should be done," Manchin told ABC News congressional correspondent Rachel Scott. "It could be done bipartisan to start getting confidence back in our system."
Manchin's announcement comes following a contentious markup of the Democrat-led voting reform act, the For the People Act,that deadlockedin the Rules Committee Tuesday.
Democrats have championed that bill as a necessary step to combat state-level changes to voting laws in largely Republican states that they say are aimed at oppressing largely minority, poorer and young voters.
Senate Majority Leader Schumer on voting rights laws: "These laws are about one thing, and one thing alone making it harder for Americans to vote. They are reprehensible in my judgment, they are anti-democratic in the judgment of most and they carry the stench of oppression."pic.twitter.com/3vWu6gCJQZ
— ABC News Politics (@ABCPolitics)May 11, 2021
The For the People Act proposes majorelectionreforms that lower barriers to voting, including automatic voter registration, requiring voter registration on the day of an election and reforms to gerrymandering and campaign finance laws.
Republicans have vowed to oppose it. Minority Leader Mitch McConnell branded it as "one party takeover of our political system."
Senate Minority Leader McConnell on voting rights laws: "Voting regulations are just the start, this legislation would deliberately turn the Federal Election Commission into a partisan Democratic panel."https://t.co/fnZQEy9rEApic.twitter.com/gCCzCPGSRN
— ABC News Politics (@ABCPolitics)May 11, 2021
Manchin said Tuesday's mark-up made clear to him that the robust Democratic bill, which he has already said he does not support, has no hope of mustering the necessary 60 votes to pass.
"No matter what was brought up it was partisan vote, 9-9," Manchin said. "This is one of the most -- I think -- important things that we can do to try to bring our country back together and if we do it in a partisan way, it's not going to be successful I believe."
For weeks Manchin has said he believes the Democratic proposal is too sweeping. The John Lewis Voting Rights Act takes a narrower approach to voting reform.
Its key objective is to put back in place key measures from the Voting Rights Act of 1965 that the Supreme Court overruled in 2013. The bill implements a federal process for reviewing changes to voting rules in any jurisdiction nationwide, with an eye toward measures that are historically discriminatory.
The bill passed the House last session but was never brought to a vote on the Senate floor.
So far no Senate Republican has come out to back that legislation, but Manchin said he's spoken to GOP colleagues and he sees a path forward.
He vowed that he would not bring the he bill to the floor for consideration unless it has bipartisan backing.
He's so committed toworking in a bipartisan waythat he's vowed not to use other measures that would allow the Senate to pass the legislation with a simple majority.
For example, Manchin said he won't support the use of reconciliation, a procedural tool that allows the Senate to bypass the usual 60-vote threshold necessary to pass legislation, to move the John Lewis Voting Rights Act.
He also won't support a one-time change to the Senate filibuster rule, despite pleas from some advocates.
"If you do it for one time you basically destroy the Senate as we know it," Manchin said.
Manchin encouraged the normal use of the committee and amendment process. He called use of that process on the For the People Act encouraging but said Democrats ought to look to where they can move forward with common ground.
"If you have another pathway forward why don't you take that?" he said.
Manchin has met with House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn, and Sen. Raphael Warnock, D-Ga., in recent weeks to discuss his stance on the Senate filibuster.
Manchin called those lawmakers "very good patriots" who have informed his position on the matter.
"It's about the country," Manchin said. "It's about the fairness of the system. If the voting system in our country can't be secure and it can't be open and accessible to everybody and protected for everybody, no matter what your race, no matter what preference, you have -- you have not only a right but a responsibility to vote and we shouldn't make it difficult for you."
