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>>> MOMENTS AGO MAJORITY LEADER
CHUCK SCHUMER CONFIRMED SENATOR
JOE MANCHIN WILL VOTE YES ON THE
VOTE TO PROCEED ON THE VOTING
RIGHTS BILL.
>> SENATOR MANCHIN AND I HAVE
COME TO AN AGREEMENT.
HE CAME TO MY OFFICE ABOUT TWO
HOURS AGO AND WE WORKED IT OUT.
SENATOR MANCHIN HAS INFORMED ME
HE WILL VOTE YES ON THE MOTION
TO PROCEED TO DEBATE THE
LEGISLATION.
>> BACK WITH US IS LEEANNE
CALDWELL.
THIS IS A BUSY DAY FOR YOU.
WHAT DOES IT MEAN NOW THAT
MANCHIN IS GOING TO VOTE YES?
IT LOOKS LIKE DEMOCRATS WILL GET
THE 50-50 VOTE THEY WANTED.
>> Reporter: A LOT HAS CHANGED
SINCE WE SPOKE ABOUT 20 MINUTES
AGO.
THATS HOW THINGS HAPPEN HERE ON
CAPITOL HILL.
THERES A BIG BREAKTHROUGH.
THIS IS A BIG BREAKTHROUGH AND
THIS IS SOMETHING THAT DEMOCRATS
ARE THRILLED ABOUT, THE FACT
THEY WILL BE UNITED IN THEIR
VOTE ON THIS PROCEDURAL MOTION
TO OPEN THE DEBATE ON VOTING
RIGHTS.
THAT WAS SOMETHING CRUCIAL NOT
ONLY FOR PARTY UNITY BUT PARTY
MESSAGING AS WELL.
NOW THEY ARE ABLE JUST TO SAY
THAT IT WAS REPUBLICANS WHO
BLOCKED TO OPEN THE DEBATE ON
THIS LEGISLATION.
JUST AFTER SENATOR SCHUMER BROKE
THE NEWS, SENATOR MANCHIN PUT
OUT HIS OWN STATEMENT.
ILL READ A LITTLE BIT OF IT TO
YOU WHERE HE SAYS THAT TODAY HE
WILL VOTE YES TO MOVE TO DEBATE
THIS UPDATED VOTING LEGISLATION,
BECAUSE HE SAYS THAT HE GOT AN
AGREEMENT THAT HIS COMPROMISE
MEASURES WILL BE ONE OF THE
FIRST THINGS THAT WOULD BE
CONSIDERED.
HE GOES ON TO TALK ABOUT WHAT
HIS COMPROMISE BILL DOES, SAYS
IT MAKES IT EASIER TO VOTE BY
EXPANDING VOTER ACCESS TO EARLY
VOTING AND VOTE BY MAIL.
ADDITIONALLY, THIS IS THE BIG
COMPROMISE, WHAT JOE MANCHIN HAS
DONE IN HIS LEGISLATION.
IT IS MODIFIED THE VOTER ID
REQUIREMENTS TO INCLUDE
ALTERNATE VOTER ID REQUIREMENTS,
SUCH AS PERHAPS A UTILITY BILL
INSTEAD OF HAVING TO HAVE THAT
VOTER ID.
THAT IS SOMETHING THAT DEMOCRATS
HAVE GOTTEN BEHIND IN SAYING
THAT THEY ARE OKAY WITH.
HIS STATEMENT GOES ON TO SAY
ITS NOW UP TO REPUBLICANS AND
ITS UNFORTUNATE THAT HIS
REPUBLICAN COLLEAGUES REFUSED TO
ALLOW DEBATE OF THIS LEGISLATION
DESPITE THE REASONABLE CHANGES
MADE TO FOCUS THE BILL ON THE
CORE ISSUES FACING OUR
DEMOCRACY.
HE GOES ONTO SAY THAT HES GOING
TO CONTINUE TO WORK WITH
REPUBLICANS TO TRY TO REACH AN
ACTUAL BIPARTISAN AGREEMENT THAT
DOES GET SOME VOTES DOWN THE
ROAD IN THE FUTURE.
JEFF, THIS ISSUE IS VERY, VERY
PARTISAN AND ITS GOING TO BE
VERY DIFFICULT FOR ANY
REPUBLICANS TO SIGN ONTO ANY
LEGISLATION THAT DEMOCRATS
SUPPORT ON THIS PARTICULAR
ISSUE.
>> MY FIRST QUESTION TO YOU I
SHORTHANDED SOMETHING I PROBABLY
SHOULDNT HAVE.
WHEN I SAID THAT DEMOCRATS
WANTED A 50-50 VOTE, WHAT THEY
REALLY WANT IS TO BE ABLE TO
MOVE FORWARD ON VOTING RIGHTS
AND ULTIMATELY BE SUCCESSFUL.
SHORT OF THAT, BECAUSE OF THE
FILIBUSTER AND ALL OF THAT, AN
EVEN SPLIT AND UNITY WITHIN THE
PARTY IS SORT OF THE BEST THEY
COULD HOPE FOR, RIGHT?
GLNCHTS
>> Reporter: THATS RIGHT.
THATS WHY THE DISCUSSION OF THE
FILIBUSTER COMES UP ALL THE TIME
WITH THIS ISSUE OF VOTING
RIGHTS.
THIS VOTE TODAY NEEDS 60 VOTES
JUST TO OPEN THE DEBATE TO GET
ONTO THE LEGISLATION.
BECAUSE THEYRE NOT GOING TO GET
THE TEN REPUBLICANS, THAT
ESSENTIALLY MEANS THAT THE
REPUBLICANS ARE FILIBUSTERING
THIS LEGISLATION.
THAT IS WHY SO MANY DEMOCRATS
WANT TO REDUCE THAT THRESHOLD TO
OPEN DEBATE ON ANY LEGISLATION
FROM 60 TO 50.
THATS WHY WERE PROBABLY GOING
TO SEE A LOT OF PRESSURE FROM
PROGRESSIVES IN SOME ASPECTS OF
THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY TO CONVINCE
DEMOCRATS TO GET RID OF THE
FILIBUSTER OR AT LEAST REFORM
IT.
AGAIN, SENATOR JOE MANCHIN AND A