Democrats pressure Manchin on voting rights reform

WASHINGTON (NewsNation Now) — With Biden’s $2 trillion domestic policy bill stalled in the Senate, Democrats are putting pressure on Sen. Joe Manchin to address voting rights reform.

A group of Democrats, tapped by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, met with Manchin this week as part of rolling discussions on the matter. But Manchin has pushed for rules changes to be bipartisan and is holding talks with Republicans, who are unlikely to support the sort of reform needed to get voting legislation passed.  

Biden said in a statement Thursday night that he still believed, “We will bridge our differences and advance the Build Back Better plan, even in the face of fierce Republican opposition.”

However, with his domestic agenda stalled out in Congress, senators are coming to terms with the reality that passage of the president’s plan, as well as Democrats’ high-priority voting rights package, would most likely have to be delayed to next year.

Biden said he and his team will continue to have discussions with Manchin next week. The White House and the congressional leaders plan to work “over the days and weeks ahead” to finish up the details, he said. Both he and Schumer are determined, he said, to bring the package to the Senate floor for votes as early as possible.

“We will — we must — get Build Back Better passed,” Biden said.