On Wednesday, the House Democrats passed a voting and ethical legislation that had a sweeping 220-210 vote despite unanimous opposition from the Republican party.
What We Know:
- The For The People Act bill that was recently passed looks to expand access to ballot boxes by creating an automatic voter registration program across the country. This will ensure that those formerly incarcerated can vote, expand early voting, and bring modernity to the American voting system.
- The bill also builds on the oversight of political lobbying as well as campaign finances. In other words, this will prevent any Congress from serving on corporate boards, and more importantly, it will require the president to release all of their tax returns. This was added after the Trump presidency came to an end.
- The legislation targets partisan gerrymandering, in other words, political groups trying to sway a voting district to create an outcome for their favor. An example would be Georgia during the recent elections.
- President Biden has said on numerous occasions that the voting rights are “sacred and fundamental…the right in which all other rights spring.” NBC News reports that White House press secretary Jen Psaki states that President Biden is “committed to protecting fundamental rights” and making the eligibility to vote much easier.
This new legislative bill would not only impact some governmental changes across the county and its states, but it will also impact the president, Supreme Court, and Congress as well.
