What are the key voting rights legislative proposals currently being discussed in America, and what obstacles do they face in Congress?

The two major voting rights proposals are the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, which would restore parts of the Voting Rights Act that the Supreme Court previously weakened, and the Freedom to Vote Act. The Freedom to Vote Act includes significant reforms such as making mail-in voting available to all voters, establishing Election Day as a public holiday, and implementing automatic voter registration nationwide. However, these crucial voting rights protections face a major obstacle in Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell, who has announced his intention to filibuster both acts. This means that to pass these essential voting rights protections, Democrats would need to eliminate the filibuster rule, but some Democratic politicians like Joe Manchin have defended keeping the filibuster in place, creating an internal party challenge to advancing these reforms.