Bipartisan Duo of Manchin, Murkowski Push to Reauthorize Voting Rights Act

Senators Joe Manchin (D-W.V.) and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) called on Congress Monday to restore the Voting Rights Act of 1965. The law banned discriminatory voting practices; it was struck down by the Supreme Court in 2013, which said that part of the law was outdated. In their letter, Manchin and Murkowski said Congress "must come together — just as we have done time and again — to reaffirm our longstanding bipartisan commitment to free, accessible, and secure elections for all.” The news comes as Democrats and Republicans each advance various pieces of voting legislation across the country; many Democrats are pushing to expand voting access, and Republicans are generally focused on tightening election security. Outlets across the spectrum reported on the story. Right-rated outlets often highlighted the news more prominently, and framed it as possibly indicative of insufficient Democratic support for more drastic voting laws. Center- and right-rated outlets generally focused more on the bipartisan nature of Manchin and Murkowski working together. Coverage from left-rated sources sometimes questioned whether enough Republican lawmakers would actually support restoring the Voting Rights Act.