evidence: "We’re living in a precarious time, and Democrats in Congress can’t let these procedural rules get in the way of strengthening democracy, especially as it relates to voting rights," said Spencer Overton, a professor of law at George Washington University Law School and the president of the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies. "If we don’t step up to the plate and people don’t try to preserve democracy, we’ll end up being in a situation where you have a minority of people who control the country, and that minority is not going to reflect the diversity of our nation." [...] And, to be clear, this isn’t the first time a political party has attempted to pass legislation without having a clear majority onboard. In fact, Democrats’ efforts today could be compared to Republicans’ repeated attempts — and failures — to gut the Affordable Care Act. But while reforming the health-care system and certain health-insurance measures typically enjoys bipartisan support, certain voting and civil rights legislation has historically been one-sided. That presents even more challenges for Democrats this year, considering they have only a simple majority in the Senate and need the sign-on of every caucus member to get legislation through.