the man who led one of the longest filibusters in history in the united states senate, 1957, against the voting rights act. the man who led and sided with old southern bulls in the united states senate to perpetuate segregation in this nation. even strom thurmond came to support voting rights. but republicans today can't and won't. not a single republican has displayed the courage to stand up to a defeated president to protect america's right to vote. not one. not one. we are 50-50 in the united states senate. that means we have 51 presidents. you all think i'm kidding. [laughter] i've been pretty good at working with senators in my career but man when you've got 51 presidents it gets harder. any one can change the outcome. sadly, the united states senate designed to be the world's greatest deliberative body has been rendered a shell of its former self. gives me no satisfaction in seeing that. as an institutionalist. as a man who was honored to serve in the senate. but as an institutionalist, i believe the threat to our democracy is so grave that we must find a way to pass these votin

i mean, what a whirlwind that you walked into as a united states senator. la: oh my gosh, thank you for letting me back with you, damian, and your fan base in the bay area. you're right, what a year it has been. i think back to where we were a year ago. for me, transitioning into the senate, but also the circumstances, right, in the worst parts of covid at the time, not just from case counts but people in hospitals, lost lives on a daily basis, and the wake of the insurrection in the nation's capital. but all that not withstanding, what a year it's been. and to think that i arrived in this senate in time to help negotiate and pass the american rescue plan, which was huge money for working families, for small business owners, for state and local governments, and most importantly, vaccines, vaccines, vaccines. and then to end the year with the president signing the bipartisan infrastructure package, which is also billions and billions of dollars for california for so many things: public transit in and around the bay area, money for improved internet access, 'c

changed the rules of the senate in a way that is detrimental, in my view, not only to the united states senate, not only to those of us in the minority party, but great damage to the institution itself. one of the men who served in this senate for a long time that we respected as much or more than any other leader, he certainly knew the senate rules more than any of the rest of us combined, was one robert byrd. three months before his death, robert byrd wrote this letter. three months before his death, he said, "during my half-century of service in various leaderships during the u.s. senate, including minority leader, majority leader, majority whip, and now president pro tem, i have carefully studied this body's histories, rules, and president. studying those things leads one to an understanding of the constitutional framers' vision for the senate as an institution and the subsequent development of the rules to protect that institution alone." this is important, i say to my colleagues. he said, i am so pathetic to frustrations about the senate's rules, but those frustrations are nothing new. i

the united states senate it takes a super majority. 60 votes. toach get a vote. instead of 50. to protect the right to vote. state legislators can pass anti-voting laws with a simple majorities. if they can do that, the united states senate should be able to protect voting rights by a simple majority. [applause] today, i am making it clear. to protect our democracy irk support changing the senate rules. whichever way they need to be changed to prevent a minority of senators from blocking action on voting rights. [applause] when it comes to protecting majority rule in america, the majority should rule in the united states senate. and make this -- i make this announcement with careful deliberation recognizing the fundamental right to vote is the right from which all other rights flow. and i make it with an appeal to my republican colleagues. to though republicans who believe in the rule of law. restore the bipartisan tradition of voting rights. people restored it who abided by it in the past were richard nixon, gerald ford, ronald reagan, george h.w. bush. george w. bush. they all

locally one elections they offer the talking point to the state legislators why should the united states senatenswer to this is obvious it governsed all 50 states as opposed to state legislation. it requires broader support. this is the greatest nation on earth what the purpose of the united states senate. half of the supreme court that the senate would refocus and what they are elected to do and then to address their concerns but the recent rhetoric with any such optimism the american people deserve a government that acknowledges and works powerfully to address them those that we face as a nation americans want us to do our job. those with debate and compromise it would do irreparable harm

the man who led the longest -- one of the longest filibusters in history in the united states senate, 1957 against the voting rights act. the man who led and sided with old southern bulls in the united states senate to perpetuate segragation in this nation. even strom thurmond came to support voting rights. republicans today can't and won't. not a single republican has displayed the courage to stand up to a defeated president to protect america's right to vote. not one. not one. we have 50-50 in the united states senate. that means we have 51 presidents. you all think i'm kidding. i'm pretty good at working with senator myself career but when you have 51 presidents it gets harder. any one can change the outcome. sadly, the united states senate designed to be the world's greatest deliberative body has been rendered a shell of its former self. it gives me no satisfaction in saying that. as an institutionalist, as a man who was honored to serve in the senate. but as an institutionalist, i believe the threat to our democracy is so grave that we must find a way to pass these voting rights

the leaders of the american people, those in particular that the american people sent to the united states senateo landmark bills sit before the united states senate. the john lewis voting rights advancement act, and the freedom to vote act. [applause] and these two bills represent the first real opportunity to secure the freedom to vote since the united states supreme court gutted the voting rights act nearly a decade ago. we do not know when we will have this opportunity again. senate republicans have exploited arcane rules to block these bills. and let us be clear. the constitution of the united states gives the congress the power to pass legislation, and nowhere, nowhere does the constitution give a minority the right to unilaterally block legislation. [applause] the american people have waited long enough. the senate must act. and the bottom line is this. years from now, our children and our grandchildren, they will ask us about this moment. they will look back on this time, and they will ask us not about how we felt they will ask us, what did we do? we cannot tell them that we let a senate

we saw this with president joe biden when he was serving in the united states senate. he said we need to maintain the senate filibuster. his attempt to federalize our voting system is just an excuse to give democrats the power in the united states senate. as you have heard time and time again, the senate is different than the house. the senate is here as the saucer for the teacup. so it can help the t cool. -- help the tea cool, and we need that because we have seen a hot mess coming from the house. what we don't need is another house of representatives. >> as i traveled around florida, everybody says to meet they can't believe washington works this way. i have been here for three years now, and we don't pass budgets, we have a democratic party that wants to spend every dime they can, they don't care that we have inflation, they don't care that prices are up. they are shocked that this place is so dysfunctional. they are shocked like critical race theory, they want to defund the police. every republican running is going to focus on why the democrats have caused inflatio

so this is a bright day for the united states senate and for our country to finally be able to move ahead on nominations so that any president, not just this president, any president can put together his executive branch under our constitution. a president should have the people that he or she wants to form their executive branch. every senator here gets to pick his or her own staff. we don't have to have the house vote on it or anybody else. it is true of every member of the house or senate. it is true of the judiciary, the third branch of government. they can hire their clerks and their staff without coming to us. so now, i think it is appropriate that any president can now form their executive branch with only 51 votes needed in the united states senate, not a super majority. so that is a huge step in the right direction. now, we can confirm judges of all the courts less than the supreme court, circuits and district court judges, again with 51 votes, without this super majority. that has been filibustering for so long. i listened to the republican leader during the run up to these vote

we have 50/50 in the united states senate. that means we have 51 presidents. m kidding. i've been pretty good working with senators my whole career. when you have 51 presidents, it gets harder. anyone can change the outcome. sadly the united states senate designed to be the world's greatest deliberative body is a shell of itself. as an institutionalist, it's a threat to our democracy is so grave that we must find a way to pass these voting rights bills. debate them, vote, let the majority prevail. if that bear minimum is blocked, we have no option but to change the senate rules including getting rid of the filibuster for this. [applause] you know, last year, if i'm not mistaken, the filibuster was used 154 times. filibuster has been used to generate compromise in the past, promote bipartisanship. but it's also used to obstruct including especially obstruct civil rights and voting rights. and when it was used, senators used to have to stand and speak at their desk for however long it took. sometimes it took hours. when they sat down, if no one stood up, anyone c

the man who led the, one of the longest filibusters in history, united states senate, 1957 against theing rights act. the man who led and sided with all southern bulls in the united states senate to perpetuate segregation in this nation. even strom thurmond came to support voting rights. republics in the day can't and won't. not a single republican has displayed the courage to stand up to a defeated president to protect america's right to vote. not one. not one. we have 50/50 in the united states senate. that means we have 51 presidents. you all think i'm kidding. i've been pretty good at working with senators my career, but man, when you've got 51 presidents, it gets harder. any one can change the outcome. sadly, the united states senate designed to be the world's greatest dlibtive body, has been rendered a shell of its former self. gives me no satisfaction in saying that as an institutionalist, as a man who was honored to serve in the senate. but as an institutionalist, i believe the threat to our democracy is so grave that we must find a way to pass these voting rights bills. let th

the honorable nancy pelosi, speaker of the united states house of representatives, the honorable charles schumer, majority leader of the united states senate, and members of the united states house of representatives and the united states senate. please welcome the most reverend michael curry, presiding bishop of the ethical church. reverend curry: let us pray. internal god of whom the bible speaks and says that you are loved, you are the source of all that is good and just and true, and compassionate. we come before you come of the fountain of all wisdom and the light of all truth. we come before you not in pride or in arrogance, but we come before you in true humility. we come before you because we need your help. we need your help in these troubled times. we need your help for this beloved nation. we need your help for those who have been traumatized and troubled by the painful events of one year ago, and all that has continued since. we need your help, lord, now, to be the democracy you would have us to become a to be the nation you would have us to be. one nation, under god, indivisible with liberty and justice for all. so, we ask you

united states senate. half of the supreme court that the senate would refocus and what they are elected to do and then to address their concerns but the recent rhetoric with any such optimism the american people deserve a government that acknowledges and works powerfully to address them those that we face as a nation americans want us to do our job. those with debate and compromise it would do irreparable harm help my colleagues find the strength of the long-standing support and i hope they reject this cynical move for the voters that they represent and to stand here yesterday and the opportunity to act this week in the spirit. martin luther king day. and i feel compelled to response a couple of items in the senate. and then to make mention we should focus on voting rights. because that all actions last year with the american rescue plan. and to be at record lows but the infrastructure and jobs act i can attest that percentage of containers waiting to bes picked up democrats are taking action. so just imag

on the senate floor with a string of hallmark greeting card-like platitudes about how the united states senate should work and not a single word about the reality of why the united states senate no longer works. in announcing her opposition to changing senate rules in any way in order to pass voting rights legislation by a simple majority vote, senator sinema said this. >> eliminating the 60-vote threshold will simply guarantee that we lose a critical tool, that we need to safeguard our democracy from threats in the years to come. >> it is hard to think of a stupider thing that could be said about the 60-vote threshold. that was senator sinema claiming that the 60-vote rule in the senate is, quote, a critical tool that we need to safeguard our democracy. it is, in fact, the single most anti-democracy rule that exists in american government. if senator sinema said a single true thing about the 60-vote rule today, i would press the play button for that right now and let you hear it. she didn't. not one true word about the 60-vote rule. so here is something untrue that senator sinema said about h

senate and to our country. this is what the letters stated in part. we are united in our determination to preserve the ability of the members to engage in extended debate with bills around the senate floor. we are mindful of the unique role the senate plays in the legislativepr process and steadfastly committed to ensure that this great institution continues to serve as the greatest deliberative body. to curtail the existing rights and prerogatives and to engage in full robust extended debates as we consider legislation. mr. president, i would ask unanimous consent that this a bipartisan letter dated april, 2017, be entered into the record. >> without objection. >> mr. president, the culture of the senate is built upon a foundation of respect andn cooperation that is known to transcend partisanship. it's a culture which legislative goals are reached with patients, persuasion and perseverance, not power. i implore my colleagues to consider the ramifications for our country. are they to be repealed two years later on the simple majority vote and then perhaps in anoth

2006 reauthorization but stand in the way today, 16 republicans who still are present in the united states senate, including not only he, but senators grassley, shelby, crapo, collins, burr, inhofe, graham, thune, cornyn, blackburn, blunt, boozman, capito, moran and wicker. that's right. 16 republicans who supported the reauthorization of the voting rights act still serve in this body today. so to them, i say join us. join us. what's changed? what was right then is clearly right now. join us. and we could pass the voting rights advancement act with a bipartisan, supermajority, no change of the rules necessary. just join us as you did in 2006. well, we know that won't happen. not today, not since our democracy has been flooded by a torrential downpour of lies. earlier this month we observed the one-year nifort of the january 6 insurrection. a president's violent mob nearly overturned a free election and tried to overthrow the u.s. constitution. shots range out -- rang out in the capitol. the confederate flag waved through its hallowed halls. that never even happened during the civil war. a new jer

as i understand, the overwhelming majority of that legislation is supported by 50 mechanic united states senators--50 democratic united states senators, and they said so, they articulated that. there are some things they don't support. we need to work on that and we need to get it done, because it, too, will make an extraordinary difference. an extraordinary difference in the supply-side issues we are dealing with with the employment issues, childcare, health care, etc., etc. rachael: let's dig more into build back better. before i get to this make it in america competition bill -- we will get to that in a second. build back better stalled when the senator joe manchin of west virginia stepped away from the negotiating table. given his concerns about inflation, one of the reasons he stepped away continues to be an issue for him. how are democrats going to revive it this? knowing what is the play to get this moving --what is the play for getting is moving? rep. hoyer: joe manchin indicated he supports much of the legislation. when you say it has been stalled since december, that is less than 30 day

not some great tradition of the united states senate but his modern day abuse. his character of the senate rules. >> but back to the argument by that mitch, the reason national voter protection legislation is so critical is unfolding in front of our very eyes in texas where the republicans punitive law is already suppressing voters. new requirements for voter i.d. are leading some counties to reject as many as 40% of mail in ballots requested because the new law required new forms with an area to provide your address, social security or id number. not everyone got the form. applications of the wrong form are not acceptable for mail in ballot requests so they got tossed and the law also conveniently makes it a felony for election officials to proactively send out the correct application forms to voters. see how that works? the identification used also has to match the i.d. number used when the person registered to vote in the first place if that was years and years ago and that, that is why voting rights groups objected voter id laws. not the idea of showing id. i

thought today the president of the united states and the vice president of the united states and a very strong message to the american people, to the united states senate. that was a very clear message that democracy is before us and that we have a choice. are you going to be on the side of darn the martin luther king junior? are you gonna get inside of george wallace? and it was clear that he outlined a case for voting rights. why it was so important for us to pass federal legislation the freedom to vote at in the john lewis voting rights act, that it was imperative that congress needed to do it now. and he also laid out a pathway that we needed to adjust the filibuster in order to make way for there to be a vote on this issue. any also made it very clear that adjusting to full buster heads taking place before with the debt ceiling. and there's no reason why it should not happen again for us to deal with a fundamental right in our country, which is democracy. we all know what needs to be done, talking about it, those one thing getting it done is a mother entirely i think show, and i think what president fighting and vice president biden illustrated to

half of the seats are occupied in the united states senate. that is a rare occurrence because it is rare that we come together to debate, to amend, or to even exercise the authority given to us as united states senators. it is also a rare moment in history because we again are being called on as others have before us to speak to the fundamentals of freedom and democracy and to go on record by the end of this day when night falls as to where we stand in the sweep of history. mr. president, approximately 155 million americans voted in the 2020 election, the highest voter turnout percentage since the 1900 election. a record number voted early or cast mail-in ballots, options that were expanded in red and blue states in response to the deadly pandemic. that was before we had vaccines and covid was killing an average of 1,200 americans a day, and yet they voted. tens of millions of americans stood in line, some for hours, to cast their ballots. that's how important the american people thought it was to vote in 2020. people risked their lives to cast

senate works. and i can honestly say with seniority comes a bit of experience. this is my 48th year here in the united states u.s. senate. having been elected by those same vermonters i praise for the way they protect the sanctity of the ballot 48 times. still, the only democrat september to the united states senate by the voters of vermont. i've become the chairman of the appropriations committee, the former chairman and ranking member of the judiciary and agriculture committee, and then honored three times to be elected as president pro temp tempore. so let me take a couple minutes with your indulgence, mr. president, to talk about what the senate was, what it has become, and what it can be again. i think my experience qualifies me to say that my conscience compels me to say that. we, each of us, stand on the shoulders of giants, the senators from across the political spectrum. from around this nation, they've forged a path for america. they met the moment of the time, not with timidity or fear, but with action, with i did siesiveness -- decisiveness. now, was the road taken an easy one? no. was the strugg

. >> it is time for the united states senate to do its job. dmark bill, as we all know, since before the united states senate. the freedom to vote, john r. lewis act. this bill, represents the first real opportunity to secure the freedom to vote since the united states supreme court gutted the voting rights act nearly a decade ago. and the senate must pass this bill now. >> the biden administration had hoped to have a senate vote on voting rights in time for today's martin luther king junior holiday. from the sounds of it, they are not ready to give up. despite all signs pointing to failure. we want to welcome tonight simone sanders, former chief spokes person to vice president harris. she will be hosting a show here on cbs nbc. the choice on peacock. and tim miller, contributor to the bulwark. -- welcome to both you, good evening. simone, welcome to the nbc family. going to be fun to be with you on a regular basis. simone, i think it is fair to say that this may be the most meaningful mlk junior holiday since the holiday has existed. because i

it is not only bad for president obama, but for this body, the united states senate, it is bad for our country. it is bad for our national security and bad for our economic security. that is why it is time to get the senate working again, not for the good of the current democratic majority or some future republican majority, but for the good of the united states of america. it is time to change the senate before this institution becomes obsolete. mr. president, at the beginning of this congress, the republican leader pledged, "this congress shall be more bipartisan than the last congress." mr. president, we are told in scripture, let's take for example the old testament, the book of numbers. promises, pledges, a vowel. one must not break his word. engineer ike tomorrow public and's promised to work with the majority to process nominations in a timely manner by unanimous consent, except in extra ordinary circumstances. mr. president, exactly three weeks later, republicans mounted a first in history filibuster of a highly qualified nominee for secretary of defense, despite being a former

, even though that's what 93 united states senators, his own| united states senators, his own attorneyt, governors and state officials in every battleground. officials in every battleground state — officials in every battleground state have _ officials in every battleground state have all— officials in every battleground state have all said, _ officials in every battleground state have all said, he - officials in every battleground state have all said, he lost. . officials in every battleground - state have all said, he lost. that's what _ state have all said, he lost. that's what 81_ state have all said, he lost. that's what 81 million _ state have all said, he lost. that's what 81 million of— state have all said, he lost. that's what 81 million of you _ state have all said, he lost. that's what 81 million of you did - state have all said, he lost. that's what 81 million of you did as - state have all said, he lost. that's what 81 million of you did as you l what 81 million of you did as you voted _ what 81 million of you did as you voted for— what 81 million of you did as you voted f

many this weekend we heard last weekend we heard from the president of the united states come from elected officials, u.s. senators and a former senator who come from states who have some of the most least restrictive voting laws in the country. and again mr. president, it's not just me making up this argument. this is an article i submitted for the record last week from the atlantic magazine. the atlantic magazine. not a republican mouthpiece by any measure. i'm going to read extensively from this article that came out last year because it really makes the point i'm trying to make. quote, biden has assailed as an atrocity akin to jim crow in the 21st century for the impact it could have on black citizens. but even once the gop passed measure takes effect, georgia's says citizens will have far more opportunities to vote before election day than their counterparts in the president's home state, where one in three residents is black or latino. two republicans, biden's criticism of the georgia law they have a plant. the state is playing catch-up, the state of delaware in a lot of ways. delaware isn't an anomaly among

>> i think we can go on and on with the oddities of the united states senate. you know what, that's exactly what we're gonna do. >> thank you lawrence. >> thank you rachel. i've been looks inning to the senate speeches for decades now. most of them when i was sitting in the chamber as a democratic staff member. and i have never, never, heard of a more contemptuous speech by a democratic senator than the one written by kristen sinema's staff and read by senator sinema on the floor today. the speech was filled with a contempt for senator sinema's democratic colleagues, for her constituents, and for all of you. sinema express that content by delivering a nonstop insult to the intelligence of everyone who was listening. she filled her 20 minutes on the senate floor, with a string of hallmark greeting card type latitudes about how the united states should work and not a single word about the reality of why the united states senate no longer works. in announcing her opposition to senator -- in any way to pass legislation by a simple majority vote. senator sinema said

in my ten years in the united states senate, i've taken a lot of votes, mr. president. you've taken a lot of votes. there are very few votes, i think, are as consequential as the vote we're getting ready to take. if senate democrats put partisan loyalty above national security security, if they vote simply by party line, it will dramatically increase the chances of a violent russian invasion of ukraine. and days or weeks or months from now, if we turn on the television set and see russian tanks in the streets of kiev, the reason will be that the united states senate heard the pleas of our ukrainian allies, and we turned a deaf ear to them. i pray that we don't do so. the eyes of history are upon us us, and this body, republicans and democrats, should rise to the occasion. i yield the floor.iding officere senator from new hampshire. mrs. shaheen: madam president, i come to the floor today to speak in opposition to senate bill 3436 which is the nord stream 2 sanctions bill sponsored by senator cruz. i certainly share the concerns that have been expressed just a few minutes

the elections for governor, united states senate, house of representatives. elections which they closed the gap in the house. they challenged none of that. then we went down the line. governors, senators, house of representatives. somehow, those results are accurate on the same ballot. but the presidential race was flawed? and on the same ballot, the same day, cast by the same voters? the only difference, the former president didn't lose those races. he just lost the woman was his own. finally, the third big lie being told by a former president and his supporters is that the mob that sought to impose their will through violence on the nation's true patriots. is that what you thought when you look at the mob ransacking the capital? destroying property? literally defecating in the hallways? rifling through the desks of senators and representatives. hunting down members of congress. patriots? not in my view. to me, the true patriots are the more than 150 americans who peacefully expressed their vote at the ballot box. the election workers who protect the integri

senator strom thurmond launched the logs filibuster in the history of the united states against voting rights he didn't argue explicitly that black people didn't deserve to vote. he said it was, quote, unlawful and unconstitutional for congress to erect the elections of the states. and during the senate 60-day debate on the civil rights act of 1964, the closing argument of the bill's opponents led and articulated by georgia senator richard b. russell was that it would, quote, strike down and destroy many rights and powers which since the foundation of our government have properly belonged to several states. let's be very clear about this legislation, the states will continue to administer their elections. and of course states have certain rights. but do we genuinely believe that states have a right to discriminate, to suppress, or to block access to ballot boxes for so many americans? although we have 50 unique states, we're also united as one republic. and what happens in one state can affect us all. when we elect our u.s. senators and our u.s. representatives and when we elect the pr

i was also a united states senator. i was here at the capital that morning and classified hearing that fellow members of the senate intelligence committee. hours later, the capital were briefed i had left, but my thoughts immediately turned not only to my colleagues, but to my staff who had been forced to seek refuge in our office, converting filing cabinets into barricades. what the extremists who roamed these halls target. it was not only the lives of elected leaders, what they sought to degrade and destroy was not only a building hallowed as it is. what they were assaulting were the institutions, the values, the ideals that generations of americans have marched picketed and shed blood to establish and defend. on january 6th, we all saw what our nation would look like. if the forces who seek to dismantle our democracy are successful. the lawlessness, the violence, the chaos. what was at stake then, and now is the right to have our future decided. the way the constitution prescribes it by we the people all the people.

which have a sitting president of the united states shouting that united states senators are on the side of bull connor and jefferson davis for refusing to shatter the senate. was the senate created to make these kinds of factional fevers worse or to help break the fevers ?r does the senate exist to help narrow majorities double down on divisions or to force broad coalitions to build bridges? this fake hysteria does not prove the senate is obsolete, it proves the senate is as necessary as ever. republicans have supported this limitation on the majority's power, both when we've been in the minority which these rules protect, and when we've been the majority, which they inconvenience. and last week, some of our colleagues across the aisle reconfirmed they have the courage and the principle to keep their word and to protect the institution as well. but to many of our colleagues across the aisle -- too many of our colleagues across the aisle still want to respond to a 50-50 senate with a rule-breaking power grab. voting to break this institution will not be a free vote or a harmless action,

. >>> it is time for the united states senate to do its job. a landmark bill, as we all know, sits before the united states senate. the freedom to vote john lewis act. this bill presents the first real opportunity to secure the freedom to vote since the united states supreme court gutted the voting rights act nearly a decade ago. and the senate must pass this bill now. >> the biden administration had hoped to have a senate vote on voting rights in time for today's martin luther king jr. holiday. from the sounds of it, they're not ready to give up, despite all signs pointing to failure. we want to welcome tonight, simone sanders, former chief spokesperson for vice president harris. she'll be hosting an upcoming show here on msnbc and our streaming channel. tim miller, a contributor, welcome to both of you. simone, welcome to the family. it will be fun working with you on a regular basis. i think it's fair to say this may be the most meaning of the mlk jr. holiday since the holiday existed, because it's the first time since this holiday existed th

i was also united states senator and i was here at the capital that morning at a classified hearing with fellow members of the senate intelligence committee. hours later, the gates of the capital are breached. i had left, but my thoughts immediately turned not only to my colleagues, but to my staff, who had been forced to seek refuge in our office, converting filing cabinets into barricades. what the extremists who roamed these halls target, it was not only the lives of elected leaders. what they sought to degrade and destroy was not only a building hallowed as it is. what they were assaulting were the institutions, the values, the ideals that generations of americans have marched picketed and shed blood to establish and defend. on january 6th, we all saw what our nation would look like. if the forces who seek to dismantle our democracy are successful. the lawlessness, the violence, the chaos. what was at stake then and now is the right to have our future decided the way the constitution for scribes it by we the people all the people. we cannot let our future be decided by those bent on

what he is referring to there is the united states senate is tomorrow finally taking up voting rights, unless senator joe manchin and senator kyrsten sinema want to take up voting rights, it will fail. you look at the kinds of pressure and argument you had there. the chair of the congressional black caucus, congresswoman joyce beatty was there at the march as well. she's been not just a stalwart on this issue but leaning forward where a few members of congress can be put on the line and be arrested for civil disobedience last year. we're going to be speaking with her live in just a moment. a lot to get to tonight. stay with us. moment. a lot to get to tonight. stay with us constituents and voting rights advocates if the bill isn't passed at the 2022 midterm elections? >> i feel sorry for those on the other side who didn't support this, you know. we're very clear. our constituents understand where we are. our constituents understand at all levels. they understand victory. they saw a black president-elected because they voted and they stood in line for five to seven hours to vote. you h

attack on the capitol whether he got the word he would become the next majority leader of the united states senatel warnock. without those senate victories in georgia instead of confirming a record number of judges in the first year of his presidency joe biden might have zero confirmed federal judges as of tonight. everything president biden and the democrats have accomplished in congress is thanks entirely to the voters of georgia delivering two democrats to the united states senate. today the white house announced on tuesday january 11th, president biden and vice president harris will travel to atlanta, georgia, to speak to the american people about the urgent need to pass legislation to protect the constitutional right to vote and the integrity of our elections from corrupt attempts to strip law-abiding citizens of their fundamental freedoms and allow partisan state officials to undermine vote counting processes. joining us now is lauren, manager of stacey abrams, current campaign for governor of georgia. thank you very much for joining us tonight. and the president is going to georgia next wee

it took three years before he was able to come back to the united states senate. senator sumner was hurt so badly. that was something serious and terrible enough, even more than, you know, 160 years later that it is nothing to be glib about, nothing to be short about, even to make an otherwise valid point. but today, one of the things that happened at the capitol to commemorate the january 6 attack last year is that the house hosted the librarian of congress you see there on your left, and two very famous historians who you see at the center and right of your screen here, to talk about the history of what happened on january 6th, how to make sure that history gets preserved, how to make sure that attack gets told for the purposes of history, how to make sure it gets told accurately in history, and the historian doris kearns goodwin at that event today brought up the caning of sumner there today and brooks who nearly killed the senator on the floor of the senate and brought it up today in a way that surprised me because of the unique resonance of that violence, that

for the united states senate the filibuster which has a bad connotation, for a member of the united states senate to speak on behalf of his or her constituents. to advocate on their views even though they may be on the minority is what that 60 vote rule provides so it protects the minority not whether you are republican or democrat but whether you are rural or urban or have unusual ideas to pull people together before we decide to proceed on legislation it protects a member of the senate that represents a view or need of additional information before agreeing to proceed, but it does more than that. it forces us to work together. i long for the days in which republicans and democrats, members of the senate regardless of the political party work with each other. the rule requiring us to pass legislation and proceed like 60 votes requires that. second, it makes the ups and downs evened out. we saw the passage of the bill in an attempt to pass the new tax bill in the new congress with the new administration. we are still figuring out what withthe old tax code says. it also is important the fil

to stay in office in the united states senate it is the greatest on earth of my life professionally. nited states senator if you are going to be a party to overturning democracy itself? a lot of these people ran for office. they ran for mayor or secretary of state or lieutenant governor or governor. you know, because they actually wanted to help their community. now they are sitting there all privately telling us this guy is insane. this guy is an autocrat. but if it's not me in office it's going to be someone even crazier and that is why i've come to the very sad conclusion the republican party is no longer devoted to american style democracy. individual republicans still remain committed to american style democracy but donald trump is the indisputable leader of the republican party. there is no way to win a primary without donald trump's endorsement. there is really no way to get his endorsement unless you promise to install him into power regardless of how the votes fall. >> you called out by name two people, two colleagues in that speech josh hawley and ted cruz both of whom led t