MEMPHIS, Tenn — Republicans may have dealt a blow to the democrats voting rights bill in the U.S. Senate last night, but efforts to rollback legislation restricting voters in many GOP led states are far from over.
Tennessee Senators Marsha Blackburn and Bill Hagerty joined every other republican senator in defeating the "For the People Act."
It would have created a national automatic system for registering voters, establish national standards for mail-in ballots, and expand access to early voting.
"This measure is about one thing: taking power from the American people and giving it to the politicians in power," said Hagerty.
Blackburn said shortly before the vote that she was worried about voter fraud.
"S.1 and all the versions of S.1 are in essence pieces of legislation that will make it literally easier to cheat," said Blackburn.
Neither Hagerty nor Blackburn have demonstrated proof of voter fraud, but the false claims continue to be spread by former President Trump and some of his supporters.
President Biden and democratic leaders including Memphis Congressman Steve Cohen are working on new legislation to protect access to the ballot box.