As Congress begins Debate this week on Sweeping Voting and Ethics Legislation, Democrats and Republicans can Agree on one thing: If signed into Law, it would usher in the Biggest overhaul of U.S. Elections Law in at least a Generation.
House Resolution 1, Democrats’ 791-page Bill, would touch virtually every aspect of the Electoral Process, striking down Hurdles to Voting erected in the name of Election Security, Curbing Partisan Gerrymandering, and Curtailing the Influence of Big Money in Politics. At its Core, a more Foundational Principle of American Democracy is at play, Access to the Ballot.
Barriers to Voting are as Old as the Country, but in more recent History, they have come in the Form of Voter ID Laws and other Restrictions that are up for Debate in Statehouses across the Country.
Rep. John Sarbanes (D-MD, 3rd District), Sponsored the Bill, said that Outside of Congress, “these aren’t controversial reforms.” Much of it, he noted, was Derived from the Recommendations of Bipartisan Commissions. Yet to many Republicans, it amounts to an Unwarranted Federal Intrusion into a Process that States should Control.
“It imposes from Washington, D.C., a one-size-fits-all regulatory scheme on each state,” Rep. Tom Cole (R-OK, 4th District), said during a Hearing on the Bill. “What’s worse, it does this even though states have been traditionally allowed to generally run elections however they see fit.”
Citing Congress’ Constitutional Authority over Federal Elections, Democrats say National Rules are needed to make Voting more Uniform, Accessible, and Fair. The Bill would Mandate Early Voting, Same-Day Registration, and other long-sought Changes that Republicans Reject.
It would Require: so-called Dark Money Political Groups to Disclose Anonymous Donors; create Reporting Requirements for Online Political Ads; Appropriate nearly $2 Billion for State's Election Infrastructure Upgrades; Require Future Presidents to Disclose their Tax Returns; and Require that the Congressional Boundaries be drawn by independent Commissions.
It comes when, Acting on Trump’s repeated False Claims of a Stolen Election, Dozens of Republican-controlled State Legislatures are pushing Bills that would make it more Difficult to Vote. Democrats Argue this would Disproportionately hit Low-Income Voters, or those of Color, who are Critical Constituencies for their Party.
Democrats say their aim is to make it Easier for more People to Vote, regardless of Partisan Affiliation. And they counter that Republican objections are based more in Preserving their own Power by hindering Minorities from Voting than a Principled Opposition.
Ultimately, though, the Biggest Obstacle Democrats Face in Passing the Bill is themselves. Despite staunch GOP Opposition, the Bill is all but Certain to Pass the House when it’s Scheduled for a Floor Vote. But Challenges lie ahead in the Senate, which will need 60 Votes.
NYC Wins When Everyone Can Vote! Michael H. Drucker
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