Jan. 6 ‘symptom of broader illness,’ Schumer says vowing to take ‘strong action’ by Jan. 17

Senate majority leader Chuck Schumer says the Jan. 6 storming of the US Capitol by supporters of former President Donald Trump says "was a symptom of a broader illness, vowing to take action “to stop this anti-democratic march,.”

The New York Democrat further vowed to force a vote by Jan. 17 on changing the Senate's rules if Republicans block voting rights legislation.

“This week Senate Democrats will make clear that what happened on January 6th and the one-sided, partisan actions being taken by Republican-led state legislatures across the country are directly linked, and we can and must take strong action to stop this anti-democratic march,” he wrote in a letter to the Senate Democratic Caucus.

The letter was sent days ahead of the anniversary of the Jan. 6, 2021, protest, which was aimed at overturning the results of the 2020 presidential election, in which Trump lost to no-President Joe Biden.

Schumer denounces Republicans who believe Trump will be reinstated president later this year

Charles Schumer has said that the number of Republicans who believe Trump will be reinstated as president later this year represents a “glaring warning.”

“January 6th was a symptom of a broader illness - an effort to delegitimize our election process, and the Senate must advance systemic democracy reforms to repair our republic or else the events of that day will not be an aberration – they will be the new norm. Given the urgency of the situation and imminence of the votes, we as Senate Democrats must urge the public in a variety of different ways to impress upon their Senators the importance of acting and reforming the Senate rules, if that becomes a perquisite for action to save our democracy.”

Democrats allege that they have been trying to stop Republicans from allegedly making it harder for certain portions of the population to vote but to no avail.

The latest move is specifically significant as the 2022 midterm election approached after which Republicans aim to seek more seats at the federal and state levels, to use it as a launchpad for Trump’s return to power in 2024.

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The latest poll was released days before the the first anniversary of the deadly attack, which put the country in a state of shock.

"We hope our Republican colleagues change course and work with us. But if they do not, the Senate will debate and consider changes to Senate rules on or before January 17, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, to protect the foundation of our democracy: free and fair elections," Schumer added.

Over the past year, the GOP has spared no effort to effectively use the 60-vote legislative filibuster to block voting rights and election reforms bills.

The US president had previously recommended the lawmakers bypass filibuster to pass the voting rights Initiative.

“The only thing standing between getting voting rights legislation passed and not getting passed is the filibuster, I support making an exception on voting rights of the filibuster,” Biden said.

The Republican lawmakers opposing such bill, meanwhile, argue that they are a federal overreach.

"We must adapt,” Schumer said. "The Senate must evolve, like it has many times before."

Since Democrats hold majority in both chambers of Congress, bypassing the filibuster could mean effectively passing their desired voting rights.

Although Trump appears to have gotten away with inciting violence and not recognizing Biden as the new president, some Democratic lawmakers are pursuing the issue to make sure pressure is maintained on the former leader apparently to weaken his chances of a return to power in the next presidential election.

The call for “strong action” comes days before the first anniversary of the Jan. 6 deadly attack, which put the country in a state of shock.

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