WASHINGTON — Senate Democrats are close to an agreement on updated voting rights legislation that can get the support of all 50 Democratic-voting senators, three Democratic aides familiar with negotiations said.
The For the People Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act were introduced in Congress in 2019 and 2021, respectively. Since their introductions, both have been voted on along party lines.
The member-level discussions are complete, a source said, but staff members are going through the text to fix technical issues. No further details have been shared.
The legislation would require the votes of 60 senators, including 10 Republicans, and it's unlikely that Democrats will get enough Republican supporters.
The bill is part of congressional Democrats' broader campaign to strengthen voting laws at the federal level to fight restrictive voting laws passed in Republican-led states, such as Texas and Georgia.
Senators, who return from their August recess this week, face a number of items, such as a voting rights measure and an ambitious infrastructure spending package.
"We've been talking to quite a few different Republicans who are very interested in doing something that makes sense," Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., said Sunday on CNN's "State of the Union."
Manchin said he has been working with Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, on the issue but didn't elaborate.
