Senate Republicans Use Filibuster to Block Democrat-Backed Voting Bill

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) talks to reporters following the weekly Senate Republican caucus luncheon in the Russell Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill in Washington on March 16, 2021. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Senate Republicans blocked a Democrat-backed election-related measure via the filibuster on June 22, potentially setting up a battle over the 60-vote legislative procedure.

Senators voted 50-50 in the equally divided upper chamber on advancing the “For the People Act,” a sweeping bill that would change U.S. voting laws. The bill was co-sponsored by every Democrat except Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), who called it too partisan and proposed his own election-related measure, although Manchin ultimately voted to allow debate on the bill.