Follow for Live Updates: Democracy Docket . VOTING RIGHTS ACT

[Budi]

Link to tweet

Senator Schumer announces plan to push through filibuster and proceed with voting rights legislation using a procedure known as "messages between the Houses" in a caucus memo.

Here's what you need to know:

When the House and Senate pass different versions of the same bill, the bill must go through reconciliation in order for the chambers to approve the same bill text. Messages between the Houses is a form of reconciliation.

Here's what happens: when chambers disagree on bill text, they can send the bill back and forth to each other with revisions until a final text is agreed upon. Once the bill has been sent between chambers 3 times, the motion to proceed CANNOT be filibustered in the Senate.

Democrats in the House will take a bill that has already undergone messages between the Houses 3 times, substitute the bill's language for the #FreedomToVoteAct and the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, pass the legislation and quickly send it to the Senate.

Once the Senate receives the bill, it will go to the floor for debate. Senate Republicans will be unable to filibuster debate on the bill like they had done 3 times prior on voting rights legislation in 2021. They will have to come to the floor and debate the bill

During floor debate, you can expect senators to give speeches about the bill and filibuster reform. Amendments can also be added to the bill. Republicans will likely propose amendments to try and remove voter protections.

After senators speak, a motion will be made to end debate on the bill and move to final passage. Republican senators could filibuster the motion, but that would be the opportunity for Senate Democrats to pass a carveout of the filibuster rules for voting rights legislation.

While it's not known how long debate will last, we can expect that a final vote will happen by Monday — Martin Luther King Jr. Day — at the latest. This was the deadline Sen. Schumer set earlier this month in a "Dear Colleague" letter.
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Follow this space for updates.

Live Updates
Wednesday, Jan. 12, 2021
Last updated: 7:32 PM

The House Committee on Rules is meeting tonight to discuss H.R. 5746, which can now be cited as the Freedom to Vote: John R. Lewis Act.
https://www.democracydocket.com/alerts/live-updates-voting-rights-battle-in-the-u-s-senate/

[lapucelle]

1. Thanks for posting this.

[Budi]

3. It's a clearly written explanation of the process they'll be following.

And the Dem Docket update link is handy as well. We are in an historic time here.
Fingers crossed & faith in this maneuver by Schumer, for our friend John Lewis & all that good & wise man stood for.

💙👍

[wackadoo wabbit]

2. Thanks for this link! /nt

[Budi]

4. Yup. Dem Dockett is the go to source for this event.

[Cha]

5. HOPE SO!! 💕

We have to FIGHT to VOTE!

[lapucelle]

6. It's interesting that the TV talking heads are not talking asbout this.

They're so busy about snarking about the tone of President Biden's speech ("How dare he call out Republicans in harsh terms for trying to oppress voting rights!" ) that they seem to have missed this story.