After a hectic post-election period and deadly attack on the U.S. Capitol, Democrats plan to act quickly on the basis of a new congressional law to strengthen the foundations of U.S. democracy, removing the need for federal electoral norms and other advocate reforms.
States have long had different and conflicting rules for holding elections, but the 2020 election, including changes forced by the pandemic to ease voting and then a barrage of lawsuits by then-President Donald Trump and his allies , he highlighted the differences between the states: “Should the mail-in ballots arrive on election day or should they only be postmarked by then? Is absentee voting allowed for everyone or only for those with an excuse? Can you register to vote the same day or only in advance?
Democrats, affirming the constitutional authority to set the date, place and manner of federal elections, want national rules that they believe will make voting more uniform, accessible and fair across the country. The proposal would make it mandatory to accept early votes, same-day registrations, and other reforms that Republicans say are federal.
“We have literally seen an attack on our democracy,” said Democratic Senator Amy Klobuchar, referring to the January 6 attack on the Capitol. “I can’t think of a better time to implement democratic reform.”
Legislation initially enacted two years ago called the For the People Act would also task independent committees to sign congressional districts, require political groups to disclose their major donors, set reporting requirements for politicians’ advertisements online, and enforce presidents on their tax returns to make public.
The Republican position was intense during the previous session. At the time, Republican Majority Senate Leader Mitch McConnell called it the “Law for the Protection of Democratic Politicians” and said in an editorial that Democrats were trying to “change the rules of US politics for the benefit of one party.”
Although Democrats control Congress for the first time in a decade, the fate of the initiative depends on whether enough Republicans can be convinced to reconsider a proposal they have repeatedly rejected. If not, Democrats may decide it’s time to take an extraordinary and difficult step: elimination of “filibuster,” a senate delay procedure often used by the minority party to block majority proposals under rules that Require 60 votes.
Proponents say the bill is the most important voting initiative since the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Democratic representatives pledged to prioritize the bill two years ago and this month reintroduced it as ‘HR 1’, highlighting its importance to the game. was emphasized.
“People just want to be able to vote without it being an ordeal,” said Democratic Representative John Sarbanes, who is the lead sponsor of the measure in the lower house. “It’s unbelievable that in the United States you still have to maneuver an obstacle course to get to the polls.
With the current plans, the House of Representatives could discuss the proposal in the first week of February. The Senate Rules Commission would then consider a corresponding proposal in the Senate, and a final vote there could ensure that the initiative is likely to go to the full Senate in February, said Klobuchar, who is expected to be the next chair of the committee.
An early vote would be remarkable, as the Senate will almost certainly grapple with Trump’s impeachment, President Joe Biden’s confirmation of the cabinet candidates and another round of assistance to deal with the pandemic’s aftermath.