The president of the United States demands a historic change in Senate rules. He is aiming to overhaul election laws.
In his recent speech, he proclaimed changes which will also include voting reforms. Also, the norms will pass without the support of Republicans. No republicans showed support yet.
The legislation needs 60 percent to pass the policies. To pass the reforms in the election laws, the split between two parties is 50-50. The changes in election laws are only possible when one party gains more voting power.
Analysts say that passing the bill must require the support of every Democrat in the Senate. And the tie-breaking vote of the vice-president.
The two bills passed the House of Representatives last year. The bill featured the Freedom to Vote Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act.
The Freedom to Vote Act will lead to the standardization of voting rules nationwide. The other bills’ functions will also depend on the State Legislature.
The President gave his statement, “To protect our democracy, I support changing the Senate rules, whichever way they need to be changed, to prevent a minority of senators from blocking action on voting rights”.
He also said that there was continuous talking among the Congress for two months. He calls it a “battle for the soul of America”. The president calls the 60-vote rule a filibuster. He intends to bring it down.
Senate history allows the opposition to block the passing of bills. It is to keep the power of the party in check. It was only during World War One that two-thirds majority came into the picture.
Biden’s attempts to reform election laws are dim. The current proposal passed in 2019. This demonstration to describe voting rights is commendable. But, it fails to see any success. No matter how much Biden calls it a voting right. Also, the Democrats won’t like to pass the bill in the current political scenario.
Credits: BBC
