Schumer Vows to Force Vote on Changing Senate Rules by MLK Day if Republicans Kill Voting Bill

Majority Leader Chuck Schumer on Monday promised to force a vote on changing Senate rules in the next two weeks if Republicans block Democrats’ voting bill again.

“The fight for the ballot is as old as the Republic,” Schumer wrote in a Dear Colleague letter, per the Daily Caller. “Over the coming weeks, the Senate will once again consider how to perfect this union and confront the historic challenges facing our democracy.”

“We hope our Republican colleagues change course and work with us,” he continued. “But if they do not, the Senate will debate and consider changes to Senate rules on or before January 17, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, to protect the foundation of our democracy: free and fair elections.”

Schumer brought several voting bills to the floor throughout 2021, only to have them blocked by Republicans. He promised to bring them forward once again after the Senate returned from winter recess and promised to force a debate on getting rid of the 60-vote threshold.

Schumer’s promise also comes three days before the anniversary of the January 6 riot.

“Make no mistake about it: this week Senate Democrats will make clear that what happened on January 6th and the one-sided, partisan actions being taken by Republican-led state legislatures across the country are directly linked, and we can and must take strong action to stop this anti-democratic march,” Schumer said.

“Let me be clear: January 6th was a symptom of a broader illness - an effort to delegitimize our election process, and the Senate must advance systemic democracy reforms to repair our republic or else the events that day will not be an aberration - they will be the new norm,” he added.