WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) — The Joe Biden administration is pledging to defend voting rights, even after Republicans on Tuesday blocked a sweeping election reform bill.
Vice President Kamala Harris says Republicans are suppressing voter access.
“The president and I remain undeterred,” Harris said. “They didn’t even have the courage to debate the issues.”
Since the 2020 election, Republican state lawmakers have introduced 400 bills altering voting rules.
“History will show this is an inflection point,” Harris said.
But Republican Sens. Roger Marshall and Josh Hawley say Democrats are just worried about holding on to power.
Marshall said not needing voter identification has made it easier to cheat.
“It is totally unconstitutional, and it is totally wrong,” Hawely.
The question now is: What will Democrats do next?
A growing number of progressive groups say it’s time to change senate rules to allow Democrats to pass the bill without Republicans.
But at least two Democrats say they’re uninterested.
Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., hopes Democrats come together to get something done.
“I am getting frustrated. The bottom line is the choice is: Are we going to defend the rights of millions of Americans to vote?” Duckworth, D-Ill., said. “I hope that they take a look at the fact that not a single Republican voted yesterday.”
But Hawley warns changing the rules could backfire.
“I think the American people would have something to say about that come November 2022,” he said.