Leading Democrats in the House of Representatives are bringing back a previously-introduced bill that aims to fight such as issues as “dark money” and alleged “voter suppression” and “gerrymandering,” as reported by Fox News.
The bill, labeled the “For The People Act,” is sponsored by Representative John Sarbanes (D-Md.), and is cosponsored by Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.).
In a statement announcing the introduction of the bill, Sarbanes claimed, with no evidence, that Americans in the 2020 election had to “overcome rampant voter suppression, gerrymandering, and a torrent of special-interest dark money just to exercise their vote and their voice in our democracy.”
Among the bill’s provisions are the enabling of “automatic” voter registration, forcing all 50 states to allow “same-day” voter registration, and preventing any efforts to purge the voter rolls of dead, duplicate, or otherwise fraudulent voters. The bill would also eliminate any punishment for voters who are found to be guilty of being registered in a state or jurisdiction where they are not allowed to vote.
Leading Republicans condemned the bill, pointing out that the same bill had been previously introduced, and failed, in 2019. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), describing the bill when it was introduced back then, labeled it the “Democrat Politician Protection Act,” saying that the bill would “change the rules of American politics to benefit one party.” House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) similarly criticized the bill at the time, calling it a “massive federal government takeover that would undermine the integrity of our elections.”
The bill would codify several of the questionable, if not downright illegal, electoral tactics that were used across the country in 2020. In the presidential election last year, there were widespread allegations of voter fraud, many with overwhelming evidence and witness testimony, particularly in relation to the implementation of mail-in voting. These alterations and irregularities ultimately narrowly handed the presidency to Joe Biden over President Donald Trump.