Civil Rights Leaders Mark MLK Day with Rage at Kyrsten Sinema, Joe Manchin

This year’s annual celebration of the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. has become a political and embarrassing Monday — focused solely on the failure of Congress to pass substantive suffrage reforms.

MLK family last month start a messaging campaign around the holiday, saying that there could be no real celebration in his life without legislation to protect the equality he fought for. On Monday, they gathered to march across the Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge of Washington, DC, trudging through the icy weather following overnight snow in the city.

Martin Luther King III, his wife Arndrea Waters King and their daughter Yolanda Renee King spoke after the march, calling on Congress to enact substantive voting legislation, with particular legislators in mind.

“A few people got in the way. Not only Republicans, every one of them has immoral views against voting rights. But that’s not the person I want to talk about today,” said King III. “I’m talking about two Democratic Senators: Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) and Senator Krysten Sinema (D-AZ).”

Last week, it became ventilation—As if it were not ready—There is no navigable path forward for the Democrats’ current proposals to set national standards for suffrage. Both Manchin and Sinema said on Thursday their opinions on removing the record for voting rights had not changed. Even the president’s visit to the Capitol and a special meeting between the president and two senators on Thursday night could not shake them.

“To them, the film engraving is sacred, unless it is not…” King said, chastising Sinema and Manchin for accepting film engravings as reconciliation and a recently created engraving to lift the limit. in debt. “History will not remember them kindly.”

Several Democratic lawmakers also gathered in New York on Monday, celebrating the holiday by calling for action on voting rights, among other Democratic priorities.

“Let’s remove the debris. It was done for the necessary debt ceiling legislation just a few weeks back. So why not for voting rights? ” Representative Adriano Espaillat (D-NY) said. Representative Jamaal Bowman (D-NY) also called on Republicans, Sinema and Manchin for blocking several Democratic priorities in the Senate, including voting rights and police reform, from there move on.

“The Senate is not doing its job,” he said.

And some Democrats have told their members in general to be prepared or hide this MLK holiday.

“If you can’t honor Dr King by supporting the right to vote and the John Lewis Act, then at least make him politely close the hell out today,” said Retired Representative John Yarmuth ( D-KY) tweeted Monday.

Majority Leader Chuck Schumer canceled this week’s Senate recess and said Democrats will return to continue trying to reform voting rights. When the senators return Tuesday — allowing time for a winter storm to pass through town and for Senator Brian Schatz (D-HI) to get through the coronavirus quarantine — they are expected to move forward with votes on whether to continue their mixed battle or not on the voting bill.

If that doesn’t reach the 60-vote threshold, which likely won’t happen, they will vote on changing the rules to allow voting rights bills to pass by simple majority next. .

“Members of this chamber were elected to debate and vote, especially on an issue as important to the beating heart of our democracy as this one,” Schumer said on the floor on Thursday. Thursday night. “And we will continue.”

Democrats are aware of their uphill battle for suffrage reform. But they say being forced to debate the bill and put Republicans on the record is a worthwhile fight, even if it happens insignificantly.

Members of the administration last week signaled a pragmatic approach to continuing negotiations. Vice President Kamala Harris on Friday said she will continue with “extensive meetings and discussions on how we can see this.” White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki also said Biden was “committed to continuing to fight”.

“He will stay there,” Psaki said.

Of course, there are also political calculations to be made towards the right to vote.

Lanae Erickson, senior vice president of policy for the Third Way, a center-right think tank for Democrats, told The Daily Beast she believes “voters will not give credit for a failed vote. lose OR do not vote. The only way forward is to cross the finish line,” she said.

Marcela Mulholland, political director at Data For Progress, said she believes if voting rights cannot overcome this, they should remain a priority. But Democrats will still need to manage to score other tangible victories ahead of the midterms, she said.

Delivering policy wins, like Building Better Back or other Democratic priorities, will boost voter enthusiasm and help Democrats build primary power, Mulholland said. treat more. More Democratic enthusiasm could lead to more elected Democrats — people who are likely to be willing to change Senate rules the way Manchin and Sinema are not.

“We need to look at that situation and be honest about the fact that we need to build more political power,” Mulholland said. “We need to win more seats in the Senate. And the way you do that… is through common law. ”