Two Weeks to H.R. 1 Vote
FRED WERTHEIMER’S WEEKLY NOTE | February 18, 2021
“The stakes involved in enacting H.R. 1 are enormous. It is essential to fix our badly broken political system. This is a battle that must be won.”
House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer announced this week that H.R. 1, the For the People Act of 2021, will be on the House floor for consideration the week of March 1.
As of today, there are 220 Democratic sponsors of the legislation, led by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Rep. John Sarbanes. This means there are enough votes in the House to pass H.R. 1, as the House did in 2019.
The legislation would then go to the Senate where Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Senators Jeff Merkley and Amy Klobuchar are leading the effort to pass S. 1, the companion bill to H.R. 1.
H.R. 1 and S. 1 would provide federal candidates with a new way to finance their campaigns that frees them from the existing corrupting system that is dominated by influence-seeking, big money funders. Candidates would be able to fund their campaigns with small contributions and public matching funds and free themselves from being indebted and obligated to monied, special interests.
The legislation would also ensure access to the ballot for all eligible citizens who want to vote, and would establish nonpartisan redistricting commissions to redraw congressional districts following the 2020 Census.
Prompt enactment of this legislation is a must in light of what is now taking place in state legislatures around the country.
The 2020 national elections produced record voter participation with almost no evidence of election fraud. This did not stop President Trump’s Big Lie that the election was stolen from him by massive fraudulent voting.
Republicans are using Trump’s Big Lie as cover to pursue new voting restrictions in state legislatures.
A number of Republican-controlled state legislatures have begun efforts to suppress the vote and disenfranchise large numbers of eligible voters in their states, particularly voters of color. They falsely claim these new restrictions are needed to prevent voter fraud.
Republicans also are planning to use their big advantage in state legislatures to implement extreme partisan gerrymandering.
The provisions in H.R. 1 and S. 1 would override these efforts and establish fair rules for voting and redistricting for federal elections. Under the Constitution, Congress has the right to set the voting and redistricting rules that apply to federal elections.
The stakes involved in enacting H.R. 1 are enormous. It is essential to fix our badly broken political system. This is a battle that must be won.
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