Senate Republicans hit the panic button
Democrats’ continued their plans to overhaul federal elections Wednesday, holding a Senate hearing on HR1 (The For The People’s Act), a sweeping bill expanding voting rights while blunting Republicans’ wave to even further restrict and suppress them (including hundreds of efforts in at least 43 states).
HR1 is full of Democratic priorities that would usher in landmark changes making it easier to vote, enact new campaign finance laws, and end partisan gerrymandering of congressional districts. (Yes!) Republicans are working hard to clamp down on ballot access, arguing the bill is a “power grab” for Democrats.
Democrats believe testimony from prominent voting experts and anticorruption advocates builds on an already rising tide of support from Democrats and Independents alike.
“Today, in the 21st century, there is a concerted, nationwide effort to limit the rights of citizens to vote and truly have a voice in their own government,” said majority leader Chuck Schumer, calling Republican state rollbacks “an existential threat to our democracy” reminiscent of Jim Crow segregation laws, and chanting, “Shame! Shame! Shame!” at Republicans.
“This bill is the single most dangerous bill this Committee has ever considered,” claimed Ted Cruz, as over-dramatic as ever, while projecting his own theatrics onto Democrats. Cruz also lied that the bill would register millions of undocumented immigrants to vote, and made other ridiculously false claims. Republican witnesses were the usual idiots who backed overturning Biden’s election win.
The bill also proposes turning the Federal Election Commission from an evenly-split bipartisan panel into one with an odd number of members, where a chairman selected by the President would effectively take control. “Talk about shame,” said minority leader Mitch McConnell.
The fact that Republicans have been making it harder to vote than it is for some nut-job killer to buy an assault weapon is more than shameful, and hasn’t been lost on voters either.
