GOP Blocks Senate Voting Bill in Showdown Over Elections

Manchin votes with party to debate election law changes
Failure of bill to advance puts spotlight again on filibuster

Mitch McConnell speaks during a news conference at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., on June 22.Photographer: Stefani Reynolds/Bloomberg

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By Laura Litvan and Steven T. Dennis

June 22, 2021 at 10:23 PM UTC

Updated on

June 22, 2021 at 10:48 PM UTC

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Senate Republicans blocked Democrats’ expansive overhaul of U.S. election laws from advancing to the chamber floor, dealing the Democratic majority a defeat on a chief 2020 campaign promise and underscoring their limited power in a chamber evenly split between the two political parties.

The bill failed to advance on a 50-50 party-line vote, short of the 60 needed to overcome a filibuster. Democratic Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia made a last-minute decision to side with his party, providing Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer sought-after Democratic unity after weeks of negotiations with him.