The Left’s next move is even worse than HR 1
This week, the Democrats’ bill to federalize our elections, S.1—also known as the “For the People Act”— failed to pass the U.S. Senate. Thanks to the filibuster, the bill fell short of its needed 60 vote threshold.
The filibuster stopped a partisan power grab that was designed to protect the Democrats’ majority. S.1 was a radical bill that would have made our elections less secure, and prone to widespread fraud. It even would have even banned popular voter ID laws.
We should all be thankful for Sen. Sinema and Sen. Manchin for resisting calls from the radical left to eliminate the filibuster. Without it, we would be having a de facto federal takeover of our elections.
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The filibuster was designed to build consensus among the states. The states would have lost power under S.1, and in order to ensure the integrity of our electoral system there needs to be a broad consensus when it comes to pushing legislation forward. The filibuster worked the way it was supposed to.
Yet Americans should not let their guard down following the defeat of S.1. The Left is already pushing an even worse bill, The John Lewis Voting Rights Act.
Do not let the bill’s name fool you. It is not a civil rights bill. It is an attempt to strip states of their powers to govern and run their own elections.
If you opposed S.1, then you should oppose The John Lewis Voting Rights Act. It is a massive federal takeover of our electoral system. It would put ideologically radical bureaucrats at the Department of Justice in charge of every single detail of our elections.
These bureaucrats would have to approve every change in our elections. From large changes such as mandating voter ID, to small changes like changing the time county election office hours.
The John Lewis Voting Rights Act removes power from the people and gives it to the Washington swamp.
The Left will try to paint anyone who opposes The John Lewis Voting Rights Act as a racist or a vote suppressor. This sort of language demeans what African Americans went through to fully secure their right to vote in the 1960s. We cannot let these types of attacks stop us from fighting against a federal takeover of elections.
For over 200 years, states have run their own elections. The Left should stop trying to fundamentally transform our country and our Constitution. The U.S. Congress should stay out of election reform.
States like Arizona and Florida have passed election integrity legislation that will make their elections more free and secure. Other states should follow their lead. We do not need a federal government power grab.
Ken Blackwell is the Distinguished Fellow for Human Rights and Constitutional Governance at the Family Research Council. He was formerly the US Ambassador to the United Nations Human Rights Commission.
