How Much Special Interest Money Has Chuck Schumer Taken

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said Friday the upper chamber will take up a Democrat-led federal election reform bill at the end of June despite the legislation facing an uphill battle in becoming law.

The New York Democrat made the announcement that the bill, known as SR 1, would be coming to the floor in a "dear colleague" letter to members of his caucus just ahead of the upper chamber's one-week recess.

"The Senate will vote on S.1, the For the People Act, legislation that is essential to defending our democracy, reducing the influence of dark money and powerful special interests, and stopping the wave of Republican voter suppression happening in the states across the country in service of President Trump's Big Lie," he wrote, referencing the former president's claims that the election was not legitimate..

Top Democrats have been vocal in their support for the measure, arguing it will play a pivotal role in helping restore voters' faith in the electoral system, get dark money out of politics, tamp down on corruption and expand voting rights.

But Republicans and at least one Senate Democrat, Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV), have expressed reservations about a number of provisions, leaving a narrow path for Schumer to garner the 60 votes needed to overcome the filibuster.

Republican lawmakers have argued that it's a "power grab" by Democrats, alleging they have attempted to sow doubt in the democratic process with their messaging, taking issue with language in the bill that would require states to offer mail-in ballots, a minimum of 15 days of early voting and calls for online and would allow for same-day voter registration.

Sen. Joe Manchin is one of the Democrats that has not fully endorsed SR 1 as it stands.

Language allowing felons to vote, its provision weakening vote ID requirements and its allowance for voters to be able to designate a person to return their ballots for them, which Republicans say will open the floodgates for ballot harvesting and fraud, and the establishment of anew 6:1 matching funds for political candidates have also proven to be sticking points.

Schumer and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) clashed over the bill during a recent Senate Rules Committee hearing, with McConnell alleging Democrats have changed with rationale as to why it's necessary despite having pushed for it during the previous Congress.

"For multiple years now, Democrats have called this sweeping bill their top priority," McConnell said.

"The substance of the legislation has hardly changed. But the supposed rationales for it have changed constantly. In 2016, American voters made a presidential decision that Democrats did not like," he said.

"This legislation was cooked up and presented as a massive overhaul, an emergency repair job for a broken democracy. Last autumn, voters made a decision that Democrats liked better. Suddenly their side stopped calling our democracy broken. Now our democracy was beyond reproach. But curiously enough, Democrats still want the exact same sweeping bill, just as desperately."

Schumer blasted the notion that Democrats are pushing for it for political gain, slamming states including Georgia and Florida for recent changes to their voting law.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., walks to the chamber for final votes before the Memorial Day recess, at the Capitol in Washington, Friday, May 28, 2021. Senate Republicans successfully blocked the creation of a commission to study the Jan. 6 insurrection by rioters loyal to former President Donald Trump. — Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell has pushed back on the bill.

"Without proof or evidence, the former president and his allies repeated this lie, over and over again, poisoning faith in our democracy and fomenting an armed insurrection at the Capitol," he said at the hearing.

"And now, in states across the country, Republican legislatures have seized on the big lie to restrict the franchise, and inevitably make it harder for African Americans, Latinos, students and the working poor to vote. Here in the 21st century, we are witnessing an attempt at the greatest contraction of voting rights since the end of Reconstruction and the beginning of Jim Crow."

The House passed its version of the legislation in a party-line vote in March.