Try as they might, Democrats are pulling all the stops in an effort to convince Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia to get on board with their radical legislative agenda, particularly the sweeping election bill called For The People Act.
Far-Left civil rights leaders, including the famous race baiter Al Sharpton, met with Manchin to attempt to push him closer to voting ‘yay’ on the voting rights bill.
A Hill person familiar tells me Joe Manchin's previously reported Tuesday meeting w/ NAACP on HR1 will now also include
Al Sharpton, Sherrilyn Ifill of NAACP LDF, Urban League prez Marc Morial, and a couple more. A full court press— Astead (@AsteadWH) June 7, 2021
The West Virginia Democrat spoke highly of the meeting, but still commits to bipartisanship on a voting bill, essentially squandering Biden’s legislative goals.
Other attendees of the meeting with Sen. Manchin included Sherrilyn Ifill, President of the Educational Fund and Urban League President Marc Morial.
Remaining strong in his convictions, the Centrist Democrat spoke to reporters after the meeting saying, “I don’t think I’ve changed my position on that [For The People Act]. I’m just learning where everybody is coming from. I want to hear every side of the argument.”
https://twitter.com/Maxamdbar88888/status/1402373957236531208
However, “constructive” the meeting was, Manchin is still immovable on the current state of the bill. He’s yet to abandon an elections bill, but believes it imperative to get Republicans on board to further unite the country – a promise made then quickly abandoned by Biden.
“I’m very much concerned about our democracy, protecting peoples’ voting rights, making sure that that’s done, and making sure we understand how fragile — how fragile we are as a country today.”
The Centrist Senator made a splash late last week when he published an op-ed revealing his decision to vote against the his party on the bill.
Joe Manchin: Why I'm voting against the For the People Act | Op-Ed Commentaries | https://t.co/zxktOyOSaE https://t.co/T8mazrJeOq
— Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) June 6, 2021
The For The People Act includes a sweeping overhaul of the election system, essentially shifting the power from the states to the federal government. The bill includes automatic voter registration nationwide and taxpayer funding for federal elections – initiatives way to Left of what Manchin (and other Democrats) feel comfortable with. Given it’s lack of bipartisan support, and the federalizing of the election process are the main drivers behind Manchin’s decision to vote against it.
Sen. Joe Manchin met with civil rights leaders Tuesday morning to discuss voting rights, just two days after explaining on @FacetheNation why he is pushing for a more bipartisan bill instead of the House-passed "For the People" Act. pic.twitter.com/ZBDK0esoxY
— Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) June 8, 2021
Instead, Manchin argued, the focus should be on a different piece of election reform legislation: the John Lewis Voting Rights Act, which aims to strengthen the Voting Rights Act of 1965 after a 2013 Supreme Court decision found that the formula for determining whether a state’s voting laws can be reviewed by a federal court is outdated.
The Senator also reaffirmed his commitment to vote against his own party as they attempt to remove the filibuster rule as well.
His prompted hysteria from members of his party and the liberal media, many of whom claim that Manchin is “preserving Jim Crow autocracy.”
https://twitter.com/JoyAnnReid/status/1399939782613028874
Far-Left Democrats have charged Manchin with attempts to “stop democracy,” comparing him to Sen. Minority Leader Mitch McConnell.
Democratic New York Rep. Jamaal Bowman slammed Democratic West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin over his opposition to eliminating the filibuster and compared him to Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell. …
Retweet to Spread the Newshttps://t.co/4ybIcWH0bN
— Conservative News Daily (@ConservNewsDly) June 7, 2021
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer promised to bring the bill to the Senate floor this month, which already passed in the Democrat-majority House in January. The introduction of the bill in the Senate will likely be blocked by Republicans with a filibuster.
Author: Elizabeth Tierney
