In the 50-50 Senate, it would take 10 Republicans joining every Democrat to muster the 60 votes needed to break a filibuster of any voting rights bill and allow it to be considered.
Mr. Manchin’s compromise narrowed the objectives of the legislation, which would require states to allow a minimum of 15 days of early voting, ensure that all voters could request to vote by mail and make Election Day a national holiday, among other provisions. It would also establish requirements for voter identification, but less onerous ones than sought by Republicans.
Despite Mr. Manchin’s outreach, there has been little sign of movement among Republicans who have been steadfast in their opposition to the Democratic voting push, calling it an attempt to federalize state elections and grab an advantage for the Democratic Party. Their blockade of the voting rights bill has spurred calls to eliminate or change the filibuster rules, but Mr. Manchin has resisted those efforts.
Some Democrats who have been agitating for such changes have held out hope that when Mr. Manchin saw that Republicans were unwilling to support even his compromise measure, he would drop his opposition to altering the rules, despite his repeated vows that he never would.
In his letter, Mr. Schumer said that Democrats would also continue their internal negotiations to come up with a final version of a sweeping social safety net bill that has been slowed by differences between progressives and moderates over its cost and contents. He warned that lawmakers would need to make concessions to get a final measure.