Should the Senate Take Up Democrats' Election Reform Package?

What’s the story?

• The Senate is expected to take a procedural vote on Tuesday that will determine whether the chamber will start a debate on Democrats’ election reform legislation. Although the vote is expected to fail, it’s likely to fuel further calls by Democratic lawmakers to abolish the Senate’s 60 vote threshold for most legislation (aka the legislative filibuster).
• Tuesday’s vote is on a cloture motion on the motion to proceed to the legislative vehicle for Democrats’ For the People Act, a summary of which you can find here. The motion requires 60 votes to succeed, meaning that if all Democrats vote in favor they would need to be joined by 10 Republicans.
• The vote is not a vote on final passage of the package. Instead, the vote is on bringing the bill to the floor so that debate can continue and amendments can potentially be considered before another cloture vote requiring 60 votes is held prior to a potential vote on final passage.
• Tuesday’s vote is expected to fail, as no Republicans have expressed support for Democrats’ election reform, and at least 10 GOP senators would be needed. It’s also unclear whether all Democrats will vote in favor, as some have expressed opposition to provisions of the For the People Act.
• Most prominently, Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) has expressed his opposition to the For the People Act as drafted and on Monday declined to reveal whether he will vote in favor of Democrats’ motion to open debate on Tuesday. 
• Manchin and Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ) have both repeatedly said that they oppose using the “nuclear option” to eliminate the legislative filibuster, but will likely face renewed questions on that front once after Tuesday’s vote. Democrats would need unified support from all 50 senators in their caucus and Vice President Kamala Harris to eliminate the filibuster.

— Eric Revell

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