U.S. Senate to vote rule change if Republicans block voting rights law -Schumer

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said on Monday the U.S. Senate will vote on changing the governing body's rules on or before Jan. 17, the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday, if Republicans continue to obstruct voting rights legislation.

The change could allow the Democrats to pass legislation with a simple majority in the Senate, where they control 50 out of 100 seats with Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris able to serve as a tie-breaking vote. Currently, most legislation is blocked by the filibuster rule, which requires 60 votes to end debate on a bill and move forward to a vote.

The rule change would "protect the foundation of our democracy: free and fair elections," Schumer said in a letter to Democratic senators on Monday.

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