Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) announced late Thursday the Senate is set to take up legislation related to elections on Jan. 18. Earlier on Thursday, Democrats in the House combined two separate voting bills—the Freedom to Vote Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Amendment Act—into a single text, and approved the measure with a 220-203 party-line vote. The legislation was sent to the Senate where Democrats are using a procedural loophole to bypass a filibuster and force the legislation to the floor for a debate. While Senate Republicans are therefore barred from blocking debate, they can still block their Democrat colleagues from holding a final vote. Schumer’s announcement of Jan. 18 is one day off from his self-imposed deadline of Jan. 17 to take up the election-related measure. “Due to the circumstances regarding COVID and another potentially hazardous winter storm approaching the D.C. area this weekend, the Senate will adjourn tonight,” …