WASHINGTON, D.C. – Last Saturday 43 Republican senators voted to acquit Donald Trump in his second impeachment trial—despite a trove of irrefutable evidence that he incited the January 6 attack on the Capitol, and the fact that a majority of Americans supported convicting him.
Now, instead of cleaning up the fallout of Donald Trump’s disastrous presidency, many in the Republican Party are dangerously doubling down on the baseless conspiracy theories that fueled the insurrection in the first place—lies about dubious mail-in ballots and rampant voter fraud—to lay the groundwork for a new slew of efforts to make it even harder for Americans to vote.
More on that voter suppression strategy, including the Republican State Leadership Committee’s newly formed ‘election integrity commission’:
Republican Party launching new election integrity committee (Paul Steinhauser, Fox News)
…The RNC says the new committee will work closely with state parties and other election stakeholders nationwide on voting policies and best practices. Among them: the panel will push to ensure poll watchers are allowed to properly observe counting processes, “meaningful” voter ID laws are codified, and all Americans have faith in our elections process… CLICK HERE TO READ MORE.
Advocates say new Georgia GOP voting bill targets Black voters (Kelly Mena, CNN)
…The new voting bill is the latest effort by the GOP to clamp down after the record turnout in the state for the November election and Senate runoffs that turned the state blue.
Georgia state senate Republicans just two weeks ago introduced their own sweeping voting bill including measures that would repeal no-excuse absentee voting and automatic voter registration. Both bills look to limit the use of drop boxes, impose a voter ID requirement and expand poll watcher access… CLICK HERE TO READ MORE.
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Alternatively, Senate Democrats are taking steps to restore Americans’ trust in their government by strengthening democracy, accountability, and government transparency, and building momentum for the For the People Act. The sweeping anti-corruption legislation would make it easier for Americans to make their voices heard in their government and help lead the nation toward a more united future.
In case you missed it, here’s what they’re saying:
How to Coup-Proof America (Andrew Cohen, New York Intelligencer)
…The impeachment trial is indeed a reminder that the Senate GOP stands for little today but the exercise of power for power’s sake. So maybe Senate Democrats should rawly exercise their own power for the sake of the Republic? Partisanship to abide a failed president or to manipulate the makeup of a Supreme Court is one thing; partisanship to enact popular, pro-democracy measures is quite another. It’s time for Democrats to stop pretending Congress is what it was a generation ago, time to stop ignoring the nihilism at the heart of the Republican caucus. Besides, the American people consistently support election reform and voting rights.
Broad pro-democracy reforms are necessary — now, today, this week — not just because they will help insulate the nation from the sort of shady tactics that marked the run-up to the November election or the baseless conspiracy theories that emerged in the wake of the vote. We need to fix voting rights and election systems in 2021, because things will likely only get worse in 2022. My colleagues at the Brennan Center for Justice have identified at least 106 measures in 28 states introduced by Republican lawmakers since the last election, four times more than last year, designed to suppress votes by restricting voter access to ballot boxes… CLICK HERE TO READ MORE.
The “For the People Act” Would Make the U.S.A. a Democracy (Jon Schwarz, The Intercept)
If the bill passes with its main provisions intact, a new era could dawn with a creative, lively, nationwide progressive movement. (Conversely, those provisions would also empower authentic grassroots conservative movements, if any truly exist.) Policies supported by the majority of Americans — on health care, the climate crisis, taxes, unionization — could finally become law. Millions of new people could be permanently drawn into public life, because they would see in concrete ways that their involvement could change the country.
Without such a law empowering democracy, it’s unlikely any of that will ever happen. And the Democratic majority in the House will almost certainly be extinguished in the 2022 midterms, blocking the bill for the foreseeable future… CLICK HERE TO READ MORE.
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