Lisa Murkowski was the sole GOP Senator to vote to advance a major Democratic voting rights bill

[AZProgressive]

Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska was the sole Republican senator to vote to advance to debate on the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, a major item of voting rights legislation that would have stored key provisions of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 struck down by the Supreme Court.

House Democrats passed their version of the bill, H.R. 4, in August with no GOP votes, and Murkowski announced she would support a substitute amendment to the Senate version's, S.4., after negotiations with key Democratic Senators who drafted the legislation.

"I have supported this particular legislation in previous Congresses and continued to work with my colleagues on it, because it provides a framework through which legitimate voting rights issues can be tackled," she said in a Tuesday statement. "This year, our bill incorporates the Native American Voting Rights Act, which addresses some of the long-standing obstacles that American Indians and Alaska Natives face."

She added: "Every American deserves equal opportunity to participate in our electoral system and political process, and this bill provides a starting point as we seek broader bipartisan consensus on how best to ensure that."

https://www.businessinsider.com/lisa-murkowski-is-sole-gop-senator-to-vote-to-advance-voting-rights-bill-2021-11?amp

[Irish_Dem]

1. Thank you Senator Murkowski.

I admire your courage and wisdom to do the right thing.

[madaboutharry]

2. Murkowski must be the most conflicted person in Washington.

Still hanging on to the idea of “The Eisenhower Republican” and old fashioned conservatism while knowing in her heart that her party has been taken over by white supremacy and fascism.

It must be a miserable experience.

Acknowledging the numerous times she has stepped up to the plate and has done the right thing.

[ZonkerHarris]

25. I wish she would just switch parties

[madaboutharry]

26. She won't.

She’s not a democrat in her thinking or in the way she sees the world.

It would take an epiphany.

[ZonkerHarris]

27. come on epiphany!

[Cha]

3. KR for Murkowski!

[In It to Win It]

4. Bipartisanship

[sheshe2]

5. Thank you Senator.

"Every American deserves equal opportunity to participate in our electoral system and political process, and this bill provides a starting point as we seek broader bipartisan consensus on how best to ensure that."

[ColinC]

6. The real question now is

Will she support a fillibuster exception for the bill?

[Rebl2]

8. I would

guess no.

[ColinC]

9. Same

But until she says something for certain, I guess there's still a chance? Thing is, wtf is the point of come ng out in favor of a bill if you aren't serious about getting it passed in whatever way you can?

[Slammer]

21. filibuster exemption

There's a lot of things which I support but which I wouldn't pass "in whatever way I can".

I can think of a lot of unethical and rule-bending ways to get things passed which could be used once and/or ruin my reputation and credibility or destroy our form of government.

The filibuster exemption is one of them.

I could use it to get whatever I want. But then it opens the floodgates so the opposition once it is in power could use it to get whatever they want (including repealing the voting law I just passed into law).

I wouldn't trust a bunch of Trump-loving anti-democracy fascists with that kind of power. And I wouldn't fault Senator Murkowski if she felt the same way.

[ColinC]

22. what we do now has no impact whatsoever on the choices the GOP make if they are in power.

Truth is, They will do what they want and have proven they will to meet whatever horrible ends they desire. At this point, whether Dems eliminate the fillibuster or not, the GOP is guaranteed to as soon as they have a reason for it. We must do the same to prevent such an outcome. Right now, passing massively popular legislation is the best way to do it.

[Slammer]

24. truth

Well, the actual truth is that they were in power until just a few months ago yet they didn't eliminate the filibuster and pass whatever the hell they wanted.

Another actual truth is that when we in the past have changed Senate rules in our favor, the Republicans did the same thing when they were in power.

That history suggests that there is indeed some minimal level of restraint still on the Republicans and that they'll respond in kind the next time they gain power.

No matter what legislation we pass, we'll lose the majority at some point if we continue to have a democracy.

I don't think it's worth gambling with how destructive the Trumpists will be if we start a precedent of setting aside the filibuster for legislation which we consider to be "important".

Because I know there's legislation which they'd consider to be "important" (including changing election laws).

[inthewind21]

28. No, the ACTUAL truth is...

Republicans are STILL in power BECAUSE of the filibuster. Majority means nothing if the minority still has control by using the filibuster over and over and over and over to stop EVERY SINGLE PIECE OF LEGISLATION! Doing nothing because of a fear of "what they might do in the future" will guarantee that future will come soon because NOTHING will get passed.

[ColinC]

30. Exactly

Also the part where they used every mechanism at their disposal to effectively steal control of the supreme court, including getting rid of the fillibuster for that purpose.

[ColinC]

31. They actually got rid of the fillibuster for judicial nominees

As I said earlier, they make the exceptions for when it suits them, like stealing the supreme court after blocking our own nominee. They literally used every vehicle at their disposal to pick up a 6-3 majority on SCOTUS. If they can do that, you should expect them to get rid of the fillibuster in other ways as soon as it benefits them.


We are just lucky doing so didn't benefit them substantially before.

[rpannier]

11. I would guess no as well

But, she's under a lot of pressure from the native Alaskan community.
She is popular with them. But for the last year she has been told several times if she doesn't support someone or something they'll be displeased
My guess is, if they want this passed, she'll do whatever to please them

[MustLoveBeagles]

7. K&R

[rpannier]

10. But don't worry. Joe Manchin has said he will press on to get a bipartisan bill passed

[BlueIdaho]

13. Stop It!

You’re killing me! 😂😂😂😂😂😂

[TomSlick]

15. He said he could find 10 Republicans who would support voting rights.

I think that gives him a 10% grade.

[totodeinhere]

12. She is pretty good at voting to advance bills only to vote against the bill when it actually comes

up to a floor vote. But as long as the rest of the Republicans are able to filibuster it we won't know what her final vote would be on this bill. But I have always considered her a wolf in sheep's clothing. She talks the talk but when it comes right down to it she usually votes with the other Republicans. Collins is also good at that.

[Volaris]

14. Can we trade her for Manchin?

[Slammer]

19. make it a baseball trade

Trade her for Manchin plus two other draft picks to be named later.

[Volaris]

32. I'm mean...I'm in st louis. Dont tempt me, they can have Reyes!

[somaticexperiencing]

16. We need this more than anything else. 2 think they don't want people to vote - shameful. & the D's

with their lack of ability to get tough, fight the lies, show anything for our efforts and then to turn around and ask me for money about twenty times a day. well, that is truly a shocking and terrible place for our country.

This is what I do.
Organic Intelligence
Perhaps it could be useful for anyone who has bothered to read this far.
We certainly need every method we can come up with to get the most out of life and turn this ship around.

[link:

|

[inthewind21]

29. You do realize

When you are getting asked for money it's going in the same pot that funds Sinema and Manchin as well yes? DNC and DCC. They are DEMS, (technically) therefore...

[somaticexperiencing]

17. We need this more than anything else. 2 think they don't want people to vote - shameful. & the D's

with their lack of ability to get tough, fight the lies, show anything for our efforts and then to turn around and ask me for money about twenty times a day. well, that is truly a shocking and terrible place for our country.

This is what I do.
Organic Intelligence
Perhaps it could be useful for anyone who has bothered to read this far.
We certainly need every method we can come up with to get the most out of life and turn this ship around.

[link:

|

[NurseJackie]

18. Good.

[bluewater]

20. So, the voting rights bill is dead?

[spanone]

23. says most everything there is to say about the defective republican party