The Overriding Issue

Can Congress pass effective voting protection legislation? It must in order to prevent massive disenfranchisement by Republican-controlled state legislatures that are busily enacting laws aimed at making it harder for people likely to vote for Democrats to vote. Congress can’t achieve this unless all Democratic senators agree to do away with, or at least modify, the filibuster rule. Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer, appearing on the Rachel Maddow show, has been saying  repeatedly, with regard to this and other matters, “Failure is not an option.” That’s a nice, if overused, phrase. The trouble is that failure is an option, and avoiding it is not within Mr. Schumer’s control. 

I assume that, behind the scenes, talks are taking place. It’s critical that they succeed in getting all Democratic senators on board. Protection of voting rights is the overriding issue during the rest of this Congress’s term.