Joe Manchin Carefully Backs Landmark Voting Rights Bill, But Wants GOP Support

Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) signaled Thursday that he would support elements of fellow Democrats top legislative priority : a package of voting rights, campaign finance, redistricting and ethics reforms.

But first, he wants Republicans on board, too a heavy lift given hardline GOP opposition to the bill.

As the Senate prepares to take up the For the People Act, we must work toward a bipartisan solution that protects everyones right to vote, secures our elections from foreign interference, and increases transparency in our campaign finance laws, Manchin wrote in a public letter.

Manchins position on the bill is vital for determining whether it has any chance of being enacted into law. He is the only Democratic or independent senator who has not co-sponsored it, and before Thursday, he had not released any statement on the bill.

While Manchins endorsement of the elements of the bill is seen as a positive development by the bills proponents, he also warned against passing the bill on a solely partisan basis.

Pushing through legislation of this magnitude on a partisan basis may garner short-term benefits, but will inevitably only exacerbate the distrust that millions of Americans harbor against the U.S. government, he said.

Manchin releases statement on S. 1. pic.twitter.com/so0cWTFYXo

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Manchin releases statement on S. 1. pic.twitter.com/so0cWTFYXo
Paul Blumenthal (@PaulBlu) March 25, 2021

He specifically endorsed six elements currently in the bill, which include five previously introduced pieces of legislation. They include mandating 15 days of early voting, including two weekends; the Native American Voting Rights Act, which would authorize additional resources to elections in Native American and Alaska Native communities; the Secure Elections Act and the Prevent Election Hacking Act, which would provide funds to states to bolster election security and protect election infrastructure from hacking attempts; the DISCLOSE Act, which would mandate the disclosure of currently undisclosed independent election spending; and the Honest Ads Act, which requires digital platforms to disclose political advertising. The DISCLOSE Act fell to a Republican filibuster by one vote in 2010.

The Native American Voting Rights Act, Secure Elections Act, Prevent Election Hacking Act and Honest Ads Act were all previously introduced with bipartisan support.

Manchin also noted some parts of the bill that he may not favor by stating that there are legitimate concerns about the implementation of the bill, especially in rural areas. This could be in response to complaints among some rural election administrators in West Virginia related to the bills mandate for states to allow same-day voter registration.