The Senate Rules Committee has advanced S1, the For the People Act, despite a contentious hearing that produced a deadlocked 9-9 vote along party lines. Under Senate rules, Majority Leader Chuck Schumer can advance the bill to the Senate floor.
The bill will protect Americans’ right to vote and ensure that elections are safe and accessible for all. It will also help combat voter suppression efforts. Several state legislatures have already introduced more than 300 anti-voter bills this year.
This is particularly harmful for seniors, who voted by mail in large numbers in the 2020 election.
“Older Americans take voting seriously,” said Richard Fiesta, Executive Director of the Alliance for Retired Americans. “Lawmakers should be making it easier for everyone to cast their ballots instead of putting up unnecessary barriers and making it more difficult to vote.”
Several provisions of the bill are quite popular with the American public, according to a Pew Research Poll. But it will be difficult for supporters to pass S1 in the Senate despite its popularity. Currently, there are no Republican Senators who are co-sponsoring the bill.
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