Sunday shows preview: Democrats’ struggle for voting rights bill comes to a head

Democrats’ push to pass voting rights legislation and change the Senate’s legislative filibuster are expected to dominate the Sunday show circuit. 

The House recently passed legislation that merges the Freedom to Vote Act and the John R. Lewis Act in response to several GOP-led state legislatures passing tighter restrictions to the ballot box.

Democratic leadership, including President Biden, have called to do what it takes to pass the voting legislation. However, the party’s hopes were dashed this week when Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.) made a speech on the Senate floor in support of the filibuster, a stance that she has been vocal about int he past. 

Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), a fellow moderate, has also come out against changing the filibuster. Both of their votes are critical to make any change to the rules in a 50-50 Senate. 

Voting rights legislation has failed in the Senate multiple times, and the upper chamber will take up the House-passed legislation on Tuesday. 

House Majority Whip James Clyburn (D-S.C.), who is slated to appear on ABC’s “This Week”, CNN’s “State of the Union” and NBC’s “Meet the Press” fiercely defended the voting rights legislation, arguing the bill should be passed to protect democracy.

In an interview scheduled to air Sunday, Clyburn told Greta Van Susteren that he was “worried about losing this democracy. That’s why I’m fighting as hard as I can for this voting rights bill, because we are teetering on the edge of losing this democracy.”

Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah), who will appear on NBC’s “Meet The Press” argued earlier this week that the filibuster gives the minority party power, which is important for “one of our vital democratic institutions.”

Below is the full list of guests appearing on the Sunday talk shows

ABC’s “This Week” — Dr. Vivek Murthy, U.S. surgeon general; Rep. James Clyburn, D-S.C.

NBC’s “Meet the Press” — Clyburn; Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah.

CBS’s “Face the Nation” — National security adviser Jake Sullivan; Gov. Larry Hogan, R-Md.; Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va.; Mayor Quinton Lucas of Kansas City, Missouri.

CNN’s “State of the Union” — Murthy; Clyburn; Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La.; Rep. Mike McCaul, R-Texas.

“Fox News Sunday” — Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R-Va.); Dr. Ashish Jha, dean of the Brown University School of Public Health.

FOX News’s “Sunday Morning Futures” — Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Sen. Judiciary Committee;  Eric Schmitt, Attorney General of Missouri; Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH), Ranking Member, House Judiciary Committee; James O’Keefe, Author, “American Muckracker.”