Democrats in the Senate are eager to pass a new voting bill, but Republican opposition could derail it.
The bill is being called the For the People Act by Democrats. It would automatically register voters, expand early voting, affect campaign finance and curb partisan gerrymandering, among other things.
The bill takes aim at recently passed laws in state legislatures designed to halt voter fraud.
In opposing remarks in the Senate Rules Committee, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell presented differing opinions on the important bill.
“Republican legislatures have seized on the big lie to restrict the franchise, and inevitably make it harder for African-Americans, Latinos, students and the working poor to vote,” Schumer said.
“Here in the 21st century, we are witnessing an attempt at the greatest contraction of voting rights since the end of Reconstruction and the beginning of Jim Crow.”
On the contrary, the measures passed in states such as Georgia show legislatures’ concerns about voting security and were not passed to suppress voters, as Schumer implies.
McConnell remarked, “Our democracy is not in crisis. And we are not going to let one party take over our democracy under the false pretense of saving it.”
The plan by Democrats would ride roughshod over federalism by going against reasonable measures by state legislatures to stop voter fraud.
The 2020 presidential election shows the need for heightening voter security in a time when many Americans have begun to lose faith in the integrity of the voting system.
The bills by state legislatures reflect the desire of constituents for this increase in voter security.
Now Democrats want to pass this bill, a bill that helps Democrats’ electoral fortunes and harms election security.
In the wake of the 2020 elections, it is a poor time for the Democrats to be seeking to oppose bills that increase security against voter fraud.
By tying together the atrocious Jim Crow laws and modern-day laws meant to counter voter fraud, Schumer makes plain that he regards many who support those laws as racists.
Jim Crow separated white people from black people in society and largely prevented black men from voting. To equate Jim Crow to the current voting situation is extremely disingenuous.
Schumer and his allies want an America that favors Democrats electorally and that does not address widespread concern among voters about voting fraud.
It is time to oppose their vision and build an America of fair and free elections.
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.