CNN - WASHINGTON (AP) — Facing stark criticism from civil rights leaders, senators return to Capitol Hill under intense pressure to change their rules and break a Republican filibuster that has hopelessly stalled voting legislation.
The Senate is set to launch debate Tuesday on the voting bill with attention focused intently on two pivotal Democrats — Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona and Joe Manchin of West Virginia — who were singled out with a barrage of criticism during Martin Luther King Jr. Day events for their refusal to change what civil rights leaders call the “Jim Crow filibuster.”
Martin Luther King III, the son of the late civil rights leader, compared Sinema and Manchin to the white moderate his father wrote about during the civil rights battles of the 1950s and 1960s — a person who declared support for the goals of Black voting rights but not the direct actions or demonstrations that ultimately led to passage of the landmark legislation.
“History will not remember them kindly,” the younger King said, referring to Sinema and Manchin by name.
This will be the fifth time the Senate will try to pass voting legislation this Congress, as elections officials warn that new state laws are making it more difficult to vote in some parts of the country.
The House has passed the package, but the legislation is stalled in the Senate, opposed by Republicans. With a 50-50 split, Democrats have a narrow Senate majority — Vice President Kamala Harris can break a tie — but they lack the 60 votes needed to overcome the GOP filibuster.
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Here are your marching orders. The Senate debate On Voting Rights begins at noon
How to reach your Senators
- Phone numbers are available on each state's page or on your senator's website
- Senators Suite & Telephone List (PDF)
- A U.S. Capitol Switchboard operator can also connect you directly with the Senate office. (202) 224-3121
Joe Manchin's phone numbers:
D.C. (202) 224-3954 Charleston (304) 342-5855 East Panhandle (304) 264-4626 Fairmont (304) 368-0567
Kyrsten Sinema's phone numbers are: Phoenix Office:602-598-7327 Tucson Office:520-639-7080 DC office:202-224-4521.
As Jim Clyburn said, no one is asking them to end the filibuster. Just ask them for a carve out on voting rights!
Share this because Democracy depends on it!
"Senator Sinema, Senator Manchin, our future hinges on your decision and history will remember what choice you make," MLK\u2019s 13-year-old granddaughter, Yolanda Renee King cc: @SenatorSinema @Sen_JoeManchin #MLKDay— Scott Dworkin (@Scott Dworkin) 1642459085