Democrats’ voting reform bill fails in US senate

The outcome was a stinging defeat for President Joe Biden and his party, coming at the tumultuous close to his first year in office

President Biden has had another piece of legislation blocked (Susan Walsh/AP)

Voting legislation that Democrats and civil rights leaders say is vital to protecting democracy collapsed on Wednesday due to the opposition of two Democratic senators.

Senators Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona and Joe Manchin of West Virginia refused to join their own party in changing Senate rules to overcome a Republican block after a raw, emotional debate.