HR-1 was supposed to be Pelosi's big reform legislation to start off her new speakership. No one imagined #MoscowMitch would ever allow a vote in the Senate, so HR-1 will never be enacted until the Democrats take back the Senate-- and the White House. It takes some necessary steps towards reform, but not nearly enough. Lobbyists and Republicans have opposed it with all their might-- and now the NRCC is trying to twist the meaning of the bill is they can use the it to attack Democrats who voted for it. And they can certainly take their pick since every single Democrat voted yes and every single Republican voted no. It passed 234-193, one Democrat and 4 Republicans not voting.The last desperate attempt of McCarthy and the Republicans to stop the bill in the House was a motion to recommit with instructions to have hearings with the intention "recognizing that allowing illegal immigrants the right to vote devalues and diminishes the voting power of American citizens." It wasn't germane and normal Democrats don't fall for these Republican maneuvers to gum up the works. In 1974 Joe Biden told a reporter from The Washingtonian that "A lot of us sit around thinking up ways to vote conservative just so we don’t come out with a liberal rating. When it comes to civil rights and civil liberties, I’m a liberal but that’s it. I’m really quite conservative on most other issues." That was 45 years ago. These Democrats are still operating the same way today! They voted with the Republicans to sabotage HR-1:
• Anthony Brindisi (Blue Dog-NY)• Joe Cunningham (Blue Dog-SC)• Kendra Horn (Blue Dog-OK)• Lucy McBath (New Dem-GA)• Kurt Schrader (Blue Dog-OR)• Jeff Van Drew (Blue Dog-NJ)
In the end McCarthy's childish scheme failed 197-228.The non-partisan League of Women voters urged support for HR-1 with this note to its members in nearly 1,000 local chapters across the country:
The League of Women Voters urges you to vote YES for final passage of HR-1, the For the People Act. The League will be paying close attention to debate on this bill and the final vote on the House floor. We implore you to reject any amendments to this legislation that would weaken our democracy.Throughout our nearly 100-year history, the League of Women Voters has worked to "level the playing field" of our election system by registering new citizens to vote, fighting unfair district maps in court, and advocating in Congress for fair election processes. Key provision in HR1 that should be maintained include:1. Break down barriers that prevent Americans from registering to vote. The Act requires states to allow same-day registration, establishes an opt-out system of automatic registration, and includes the establishment of an online voter registration for all eligible voters.2. Restore the Voting Rights Act (VRA) and strengthen our elections by cutting back the obstructive laws that have kept eligible voters from exercising their right at the ballot box.3. Establish independent, citizen redistricting commissions at the state level to draw congressional districts allowing voters to pick their politicians not the other way around.4. Empower small donors by creating a public financing system to match small contributions to presidential and congressional candidates. It will also close disclosure loopholes that allow outside groups to flood elections with millions of dollars of secret money.HR-1 is an historic opportunity to put power back into the hands of the people. The League has worked tirelessly over the last few months to support and promote this legislation to all members of Congress.Vote YES on final passage of HR-1.Vote NO on weakening amendments and the motion to recommit.
The League of Women Voters didn't release this Ministry video though.Yesterday the NRCC began a digital ad campaign against a dozen vulnerable Democrats, laughably calling them Socialists!!!! for voting for the mild reform package that would help drain the ever-increasing Trump-Republican Swamp in DC. It's a weak, melodramatic ad that feeds the low-info Republican base but that normal people will laugh at. So who gets called a "Socialist!!!!" in the GOP ad campaign? AOC? No. Rashida? No. Ilhan? No. In fact no left-of-center Democrats at all. The NRCC is targeting a dozen right-leaning DINOs-- a gaggle of Blue Dogs and New Dems, who tend to vote with Republicans out of fear. Like a mad dog, when the NRCC smells fear, they attack. The ad up top targets South Carolina Blue Dog, Joe Cunningham, who literally votes less progressively than some Republicans! All of the targets are right-of-center, fear-based Dems-- mostly Blue Dogs and New Dems-- and all have voting records that are rated "F" by ProgressivePunch. Cunningham's "F," though is even lower (less progressive) than the voting records of NRCC protection priorities Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) and John Katko (R-NY), as well as Tom Massie (R-KY). Cunningham's crucial vote score is 20.93%. Former Republican, Justin Amash (I-MI) has score for this session that's more than twice as progressive: 55.81. These are the other 11 NRCC targets for this ad campaign-- in order of most Republican to less Republican:
• Kendra Horn (Blue Dog-OK)• Ben McAdams (Blue Dog-UT)• Jared Golden (ME)• Elaine Luria (New Dem-VA)• Xochitl Torres Small (Blue Dog-NM)• Elissa Slotkin (New Dem-MI)• Andy Kim (NJ)• Max Rose (Blue Dog-NY)• Susie Lee (New Dem-NV)• TJ Cox (CA)• Susan Wild (New Dem-PA)
And with the Cheri Bustos have completely wrecked the DCCC already, there is no one to respond to the ridiculous NRCC attacks.If the NRCC wants a stronger reform package, they should get behind this one that has been ignored by Pelosi and the Democratic establishment
