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““We are all certain that democracy is best when voting is open to everyone on a level playing field””
That was University of Alabama football coach Nick Saban, imploring West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin to help pass voting rights legislation in Congress.
Saban, along with several prominent sports figures including NBA legend Jerry West and former NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue, wrote a letter to Manchin ahead of the introduction of The Freedom to Vote: John R. Lewis Act in Congress. Some aspects of the bill include making Election Day a national holiday, giving millions of Americans access to early voting and mail-in ballots, and enabling the Justice Department to intervene in states with a history of voter interference, according to the Associated Press.
“We come from some of our Nation’s most popular sports leagues, conferences and teams. Some of us have roots and shaped our lives in West Virginia, others followed very different paths and some of us have been rivals in sports or business,” part of the letter reads. “But we are all certain that democracy is best when voting is open to everyone on a level playing field; the referees are neutral; and at the end of the game the final score is respected and accepted.”
Saban, 70, and West, 83, were both born in the state of West Virginia.
The letter was also signed by former NFL players and West Virginia University alumni Oliver Luck and Darryl Talley.
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The group wants Manchin and the rest of Congress to “guarantee that all Americans have an equal voice in our democracy and that Federal elections are conducted with integrity so that the votes of all eligible voters determine the election outcomes.”
Sen. Manchin and Sen. Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona, viewed as swing votes on key issues for Democrats, have both stated that they support parts of the bill, but will not vote to end the Senate filibuster, which appears to be holding the bill up. The current 50-50 split in the Senate is still a slight majority for Democrats as Vice President Kamala Harris can cast a tiebreaking vote, but it doesn’t appear that Democrats can overcome the 60-vote filibuster threshold.
Manchin was asked about the letter on Tuesday and said, “we should all support the right the vote, everyone, but not breaking the rules to make new rules.”
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer admitted the bill may fail this week, but said he will continue to press the issue.
“We ain’t giving up,” Schumer said. “It is a fight for the soul and the future of America.”
President Joe Biden and former President Barack Obama have urged the Senate in recent weeks to end the filibuster.
The news comes as Biden is wrapping up his first calendar year as commander-in-chief — he saw achievements in things like November’s infrastructure law and 2020’s COVID relief package, and missteps with things like his administration’s read on inflation and the withdrawal from Afghanistan.
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