Republicans don’t like it when voting is easy for U.S. citizens. Because, as we all know, when casting a vote is unrestricted, Democrats out-vote Republicans.
So, Republicans, especially at the state level, are passing laws making it as hard as possible – without actually doing away with voting all together – for citizens to cast their vote; especially for Black, brown and poor citizens.
Senator Amy Klobuchar, Minnesota Democrat and chairwoman of the Senate Rules Committee said: “These bills moving in state capitals across America are not empty threats, they are real efforts to stop people from voting”.
To combat these draconian measures enacted by Republicans across a growing number of ‘red states’, Democrats put forward the For the People Act. The legislation would strike down hurdles to voting, would restrict partisan gerrymandering of congressional districts, would bring transparency to a dark campaign finance system that allows wealthy donors to anonymously bankroll political causes.
Let’s see: Take down roadblocks to voting. Restrict gerrymandering. Make campaign finance transparent. Seems fair enough.
This bill, said Representative Nikema Williams, who now represents the Georgia district that voting rights champion and true American hero John Lewis held for many years, “will put a stop to the voter suppression that we’re seeing debated right now”. This bill, Williams added, “is the ‘Good Trouble’ John Lewis fought for his entire life”.
Again, seems fair enough, to a fair-minded citizen of the United States of America.
But not to ‘Moscow Mitch’ McConnell. The Senate Minority leader from Kentucky has taken it upon himself to be commander of the forces against free and fair voting and elections in the U.S. Moscow Mitch is so damn determined to stop For the People Act he argued against the bill in Tuesday’s Rules Committee session. A rare role for a party leader, according to reports.
Moscow Mitch also has teamed up with the Koch network in an expanded war to kill the For the People Act.
Yes, McConnell continues to earn the not-just-a-meme handle, Moscow Mitch.