Senate Begins Markup of For the People Act
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today at 10 AM, the Senate began its markup of S. 1, the For the People Act. The Committee on Rules and Administration will consider amendments to the landmark legislation, which passed the House in March. The bill would be some of the most significant elections legislation signed into law since the Voting Rights Act. In a press release announcing the bill’s markup date, Committee Chairwoman Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) said “Across the country, the right to vote is under attack and special interests are drowning out the voices of the American people. The For The People Act is essential to making our democracy work for every American.”
Among the amendments that Democrats are expected to offer at today’s markup are a “manager’s amendment,” offered by Klobuchar, that limits the scope of the bill to ease adoption of its provisions for smaller states. Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.) has proposed the “Voters’ Access To Water Act” as an amendment, which would prevent states from banning the distribution of food and water by volunteers to voters at the polls. Follow along as @DemocracyDocket live tweets the markup to keep track of new changes and proposed amendments.