Democrats tie push on election laws to anniversary of Jan. 6 attack on Capitol by Trump supporters

Mr. Schumer laid out his plans regarding the filibuster in a letter to colleagues at the start of the second session of the current Congress and as the country approaches the first anniversary of the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol. In that siege, supporters of former President Donald Trump stormed the Capitol in a failed attempt to stop Congress from certifying President Biden’s election victory. Democrats argue that many Republican-led states’ changes to their voting laws were designed to restrict voters’ access to the ballot, and that new federal legislation is required to protect voting rights.

Republicans say the Democrats’ elections proposal would wrest power from the states and glosses over the need to better safeguard elections. They paint calls to change the Senate’s filibuster rules, which give the minority power by requiring 60 out of 100 votes to advance most legislation, as a power grab.

“An evenly divided Senate breaking and forever changing rules that require a supermajority is like a football team declaring its opponent’s end zone starts at the 40 yard line,” tweeted Sen. Mike Lee (R., Utah). A simple majority in the 50-50 Senate is required to change or eliminate the filibuster, but Sens. Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona have raised objections, leaving the fate of any changes uncertain.

More From The Wall Street Journal (subscription required):