Senate majority leader Charles Schumer
Chuck SchumerTrump’s allies line up before the potentially blunt primaries. Where, Puerto Rico? Democrats make low-tax states an offer they should refuse MORE (DN.Y.) on Wednesday harshly criticized new bills being offered by Republicans in dozens of states that would place limits on voting capacity.
Schumer, testifying before the Senate Rules Committee on a broad electoral reform bill, accused Republicans of trying to “deprive” voters after losing the 2020 election.
“What a shame for them … This is irritating. I would like to ask my Republican colleagues: why are you so afraid of democracy,” said Schumer.
Schumer also spoke at the Senate floor about the electoral bills being proposed, accusing Republicans of embracing President Trump
Donald Trump’s Morning ReportThe Hill – Biden leans heavily on gun control The Justice Department faces risks and rewards with rebellion charges. Online harassment is ugly and routine for women in journalism MOREthe “big lie” of 2020 – that the 2020 elections were “manipulated” and stolen from him.
“They don’t even stand up to protect the sacred right to vote. Shame, shame, shame for all of them,” he added.
The Brennan Center for Justice found that, by mid-February, Republicans in 43 states had proposed more than 250 bills that would make it more difficult to vote, including proposals to change voting requirements by mail or voter identification.
A Washington Post analysis found that the changes could represent the biggest change in access to the ballot since Reconstruction, placing limits on the ability to vote for tens of millions of Americans.
Schumer’s comments come as the Senate Rules Committee is holding a hearing on the People’s Law, a comprehensive bill that would review the country’s elections. The bill passed the House earlier this month without Republican support and has no co-sponsors for the Republican Party in the Senate.
Leader of the Republican Party in the Senate Mitch McConnell
Addison (Mitch) Mitchell McConnellDems plans to squeeze the Republican Party through obstruction. Biden’s allies seek two-step strategy on the Budowsky infrastructure: Trump-McConnell war against voters and democracy MORE (Ky.), Speaking at the same hearing, called the bill “a solution in search of a problem” and an “invitation to chaos” that “would create a nightmare” if converted into law.
“States are not making any effort to try to suppress voters in any way. This is clearly a party’s effort to rewrite the rules of our political system, ”said McConnell.
Proponents of the new state electoral laws argue that they are necessary after the 2020 elections, but, as the Post notes, many of the bills are being proposed in states that have seen no electoral confusion. Election experts have also repeatedly rejected Trump’s allegations of widespread fraud and his legal team has lost dozens of disputes.
Schumer, testifying before the Senate committee, promised that the bill approved by the House would be “a priority” in the Democratic-controlled Senate, although the bill has no votes to pass the 60-vote legislative obstruction in effect.
“Some of these voter suppression laws in Georgia and other Republican states look like Jim Crow showing his ugly head once again,” said Schumer. “Jim Crow still seems to be with us.”