Name: Joe Manchin Carefully Backs Landmark Voting Rights Bill, But Wants GOP Support
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Joe Manchin Carefully Backs Landmark Voting Rights Bill, But Wants GOP Support

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×U.S. EditionPart of HuffPost Politics. ©2022 BuzzFeed, Inc. All rights reserved.×Sen. (D-W.Va.) signaled Thursday that he would support elements of fellow : a package of voting rights, campaign finance, redistricting and ethics reforms.But first, he wants on board, too ― a heavy lift given hardline GOP opposition to the bill.Advertisement“As the Senate prepares to take up the For the People Act, we must work toward a bipartisan solution that protects everyone’s right to vote, secures our elections from foreign interference, and increases transparency in our campaign finance laws,” Manchin wrote in a public letter.Manchin’s position on the bill is vital for determining whether it has any chance of being enacted into law. He is the only Democratic or independent senator who has not co-sponsored it, and before Thursday, he had not released any statement on the bill.While Manchin’s endorsement of the elements of the bill is seen as a positive development by the bill’s proponents, he also warned against passing the bill on a solely partisan basis.“Pushing through legislation of this magnitude on a partisan basis may garner short-term benefits, but will inevitably only exacerbate the distrust that millions of Americans harbor against the U.S. government,” he said.AdvertisementManchin releases statement on S. 1. — Paul Blumenthal (@PaulBlu)He specifically endorsed six elements currently in the bill, which include five previously introduced pieces of legislation. They include mandating 15 days of early voting, including two weekends; the Native American Voting Rights Act, which would authorize additional resources to elections in Native American and Alaska Native communities; the Secure Elections Act and the Prevent Election Hacking Act, which would provide funds to states to bolster election security and protect election infrastructure from hacking attempts; the DISCLOSE Act, which would mandate the disclosure of currently undisclosed independent election spending; and the Honest Ads Act, which requires digital platforms to disclose political advertising. The DISCLOSE Act fell to a Republican filibuster by one vote in 2010.The Native American Voting Rights Act, Secure Elections Act, Prevent Election Hacking Act and Honest Ads Act were all previously introduced with bipartisan support.Manchin also noted some parts of the bill that he may not favor by stating that there are “legitimate concerns about the implementation” of the bill, “especially in rural areas.” This could be in response to related to the bill’s mandate for states to allow same-day voter registration.AdvertisementManchin’s review of what provisions in the For The People Act he will support and oppose is ongoing, and not limited to those listed in his letter.“I just gave you an overview of things I think we should be doing,” Manchin told HuffPost. “We’re still looking into it. I have staff looking over every way, shape and form. We’re talking to national secretaries of state because I was a secretary of state.”AdvertisementIgor Bobic contributed reporting.Suggest a correctionNewsletter Sign UpHuffPost's top politics stories, straight to your inbox.Successfully Subscribed!Realness delivered to your inbox

×U.S. EditionPart of HuffPost Politics. ©2022 BuzzFeed, Inc. All rights reserved.×Sen. (D-W.Va.) signaled Thursday that he would support elements of fellow : a package of voting rights, campaign finance, redistricting and ethics reforms.But first, he wants on board, too ― a heavy lift given hardline GOP opposition to the bill.Advertisement“As the Senate prepares to take up the For the People Act, we must work toward a bipartisan solution that protects everyone’s right to vote, secures our elections from foreign interference, and increases transparency in our campaign finance laws,” Manchin...

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Joe Manchin Carefully Backs Landmark Voting Rights Bill, But Wants GOP Support

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