WASHINGTON (AP) – Stacey Abrams, whose work on voting rights helped turn Georgia into a swing state, on Thursday urged Congress to reject “absolute lies” that have historically restricted access to voting while Democrats began pushing for a radical overhaul of elections and ethical laws.
“A lie wrapped in the seductive appeal of electoral integrity has weakened access to democracy by the millions,” said Abrams, a Democrat who narrowly lost Georgia’s government race in 2018, during a committee hearing by the bill, which was introduced as HR 1 to point out its importance to the party agenda.
Democrats feel the urgency to enact legislation before the midterm elections in 2022, when their narrow majorities in the House and Senate will be at risk. The bill, which has been defended by good governance groups, is advancing in a context of Republican-controlled states seizing false claims by former President Donald Trump over a stolen 2020 election to push through legislation that would make it difficult. the vote. Democrats argue that voters of color, a key party constituency, would be disproportionately affected.
It also culminates in a redrawing, once every ten years, of congressional districts, a highly partisan issue that is normally controlled by state legislatures. With Republicans controlling most state houses, the process could only help the Republican Party win enough seats to regain the House. Instead, the Democratic bill would require borders to be drawn by independent commissions.
“All political actors know what’s at stake,” said Fred Wertheimer, president of Democracy 21, a Washington-based pro-independence government group. “There is a race between what is happening in the Republican state legislatures and this effort to pass federal rules to protect the right to vote of all eligible citizens.”
For Republicans, the proposal amounts to a massive federal intrusion into locally administered elections. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., Exploited the measure the last time it was debated in Congress, calling it the “Protection of Democratic Politicians Act.”
“If this bill became law, it would be the largest expansion of the federal government’s role in the election we’ve ever seen,” said Rep. Rodney Davis, R-Ill. “The damage to the electoral process of states outweighs the minor burdens imposed on voting rights.”
The debate over the measure comes after the tumultuous aftermath of the 2020 elections, which saw a record number of postal votes due to the pandemic. After losing the White House, Trump even repeated a false claim that the result was due to widespread voter fraud while trying to nullify President Joe Biden’s victory.
But there was no widespread fraud, as confirmed by election officials across the country and then Attorney General William Barr. Dozens of legal challenges in the election presented by Trump and his allies were dismissed, including the Supreme Court.
However, Republican-controlled state legislatures, driven by Trump’s actions, have adopted new voting restrictions in dozens of states, including Abrams Georgia.
This is where the effort of the Democrats in Congress comes into play.
Citing the constitutional authority of Congress to establish the timing, place, and form of federal elections, Democrats want national rules that they say will make voting more uniform, accessible, and fair across the nation. The bill would hamper state GOP efforts by forcing early voting, same-day registration and other reforms that Republicans have long rejected.
The 791-page measure, first introduced two years ago, would also require dark money political groups to reveal anonymous donors, as well as create reporting requirements for online political announcements. About $ 2 billion would be appropriated for the improvement of the electoral infrastructure. And, taking a retrospective look at Trump, it would force presidents to disclose their tax returns.
Despite strong opposition from the Republican Party, the bill is sure to pass the House. But there are daunting challenges in the Senate, which is split between 50 and 50 between Republicans and Democrats. In some legislations, only 51 votes are needed to pass, with Vice President Kamala Harris as the tiebreaker.
In a deeply divisive bill like this, they would need 60 votes under current Senate rules to overcome a Republican hurdle, a calculation they are unlikely to achieve.
Under pressure from the party’s left flank, Democrats have proposed eliminating the filibuster but have no votes to do so. This is an open question about whether Democrats will find ways to remove this hurdle, possibly gathering votes to change filibuster rules to exempt specific types of legislation, including those dealing with voting rights.
Given the closing window to pass legislation before 2022, many in the party still hope Biden can sign the law, whose administration has said the bill is a priority.
“We may not have a chance to make that change again for many, many decades, so don’t miss this window,” said John Sarbanes, a Maryland Democrat who is the main sponsor of the bill. “Shame on us if we don’t get it.”