GOP senators block Democrat bill to federalize elections

A Democrat bill to increase federal control over elections failed Wednesday to advance in the evenly-split Senate after 50 Republicans senators voted against it in a procedural vote.

The final vote tally on the Freedom to Vote Act was 51-49.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said the chamber will consider the alternative John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act sometime next week.

"By voting no to even begin debate, Republicans are giving implicit endorsement of the horrid new voter suppression and election subversion laws passed in states across the country," the New York Democrat said.

Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell countered that the bill includes many items that Americans directly oppose and lack any bipartisan support.

The legislation “still subjects popular commonsense election integrity provisions like voter ID to the whims of federal bureaucrats" and "still puts Washington in the middle of states' redistricting decisions,” he said.