An initial attempt by Democrats to protect the right to vote in America failed when the Senate failed to pass the H.R.1. Now Democrats are pushing forward a new bill, the Freedom to Vote Act. Michael Waldman argues in an article published by Brennan Center for Justice that the bill is critical for protecting and strengthening US democracy. Here is an excerpt:

Today was a big day at the Capitol.

Senate Democrats, led by Sen. Amy Klobuchar, introduced the Freedom to Vote Act. The bill is a successor to the popular For the People Act, which passed the House in March but hit a Republican brick wall in the Senate. It is a strong bill that should be passed without hesitation by all members of Congress.

This bill has new momentum, real momentum. It’s our best chance for democracy reform in years. Sponsors with Klobuchar include several Democratic colleagues, including, yes, Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia. He worked intensively on this over recent weeks. According to NBC News, President Biden has said he’ll work to change filibuster rules to pass this bill.

Read the full article here, learn about the stakes. Also, see related Democracy Chronicles articles like those on the Voter Access, Voter Turnout, or even seen our section on American Democracy.