House Passes Landmark Voting Rights Expansion Bill, H.R. 1

[Frodo]

Otherwise known as For the People Act:

Targeting State Restrictions, House Passes Landmark Voting Rights Expansion
The omnibus voting, ethics and campaign finance bill would roll back barriers to voting enacted by Republican statehouses, but it faces an uphill battle in the Senate.

Once the House also passes the John Lewis Voting Rights Act (why didn't they do that one first?), Senate Democrats should combine the two bills into one.  It will face a filibuster by Senate Republicans, of course, but it presents the perfect opportunity to gut the legislative filibuster, and with the moral high ground.  

[7,052,770]

If Sinema kills this bill, Arizona Republicans will pass enough restrictions to kill her Senate career in 2024.

[Horus]

Why did Bennie Thompson vote no?

[7,052,770]

Why did Bennie Thompson vote no?

https://twitter.com/grace_panetta/status/1367343474933170177

I believe he represents one of just 2 majority-black large rural districts in America.

[Frodo]

67 PERCENT OF AMERICANS SUPPORT H.R.1 FOR THE PEOPLE ACT



Even a solid majority of Republicans support this bill (though not in Congress), interestingly enough.

[sting in the rafters]

If Sinema kills this bill, Arizona Republicans will pass enough restrictions to kill her Senate career in 2024.

If Sinema/Manchin kill this bill they might as well change their registrations.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

67 PERCENT OF AMERICANS SUPPORT H.R.1 FOR THE PEOPLE ACT



Even a solid majority of Republicans support this bill (though not in Congress), interestingly enough.

Republican politicians do not care what their voters think, it is about what the donors/pressure groups/media influencers think.

[Born to Slay. Forced to Work.]

https://clerk.house.gov/Votes/202162

I was curious the exact role vote of H.R. 1 and was honestly stunned that Thompson, a long time democrat from a deep blue, predominantly African-American district was the only democrat who voted against it. Especially as Thompson has been on the left/establishment of the party. The only thing I could think of is he misclicked (like Rep. Lance Gooden with the George Floyd Bill)

[Buffalo Mayor Young Kim]

Why did Bennie Thompson vote no?

https://twitter.com/grace_panetta/status/1367343474933170177
I believe he represents one of just 2 majority-black large rural districts in America.

Remember when Cleaver pushed to Missouri black caucus to override the veto on Missouri’s GOP gerrymander because he wanted less white Democrats in his district, just in case he retired?

This feels like that.

[Lambsbread]

I think he voted Nay accidentally. He was a cosponsor of the bill.

[Lambsbread]

Time to flood Sinema and Manchin's phone lines.

[Born to Slay. Forced to Work.]

I think he voted Nay accidentally. He was a cosponsor of the bill.

I hope he submits a request to change his vote (that’s what Goddard did)

[jimrtex]

67 PERCENT OF AMERICANS SUPPORT H.R.1 FOR THE PEOPLE ACT



Even a solid majority of Republicans support this bill (though not in Congress), interestingly enough.

Clearly a push poll.

[Orwell]

Why won’t this be struck down by the SC I can see an argument that independent redistributing violates the constitutions stipulation that states control their own voting laws and such.

[Stuart98]

Why won’t this be struck down by the SC I can see an argument that independent redistributing violates the constitutions stipulation that states control their own voting laws and such.

The house gets to regulate the manner in which members of the house are elected. If the house gets to say "members must be elected from single member districts" (which they inarguably do), then they can say how thirst districts can be drawn.

[KaiserDave]

Why won’t this be struck down by the SC I can see an argument that independent redistributing violates the constitutions stipulation that states control their own voting laws and such.

SCOTUS already ruled it doesn’t

[ProgressiveModerate]

Please Sinema and Manchin!

[BlueSwan]

Yeah, this HAS to pass. This is arguable more important than any other item on the democratic agenda.

But they need to kill the filibuster to get this through, so it's not going to happen.

[Amenhotep Bakari-Sellers]

These bills are going nowhere in the Senate

[Meatball Ron]

These bills are going nowhere in the Senate

Yeah, this HAS to pass. This is arguable more important than any other item on the democratic agenda.

But they need to kill the filibuster to get this through, so it's not going to happen.

There is discussion of killing the filibuster only for "democracy-related legislation" (same way it's been killed for nominees) and while that feels a little ridiculous, if it works, it works. I just can't see Manchin and Sinema letting this bill die on their hands. They know how important it is, least of all for their own electoral prospects (in Sinema's case). Manchin already came out in support of the bill FWIW.

[wbrocks67]

These bills are going nowhere in the Senate

Yeah, this HAS to pass. This is arguable more important than any other item on the democratic agenda.

But they need to kill the filibuster to get this through, so it's not going to happen.

There is discussion of killing the filibuster only for "democracy-related legislation" (same way it's been killed for nominees) and while that feels a little ridiculous, if it works, it works. I just can't see Manchin and Sinema letting this bill die on their hands. They know how important it is, least of all for their own electoral prospects (in Sinema's case). Manchin already came out in support of the bill FWIW.

I'm not sure if this is a dumb question, but is there a way to temporarily kill the fillibuster? Like kill it to pass these two bills and then put it back in place? I guess that defeats the purpose but yeah, I can't see Manchin or Sinema killing this bill.

[7,052,770]

Why does this bill "support" adding DC as a state but not actually add it? Is there a single member of Congress who would vote for this, but wouldn't if it made DC a state?

[beesley]

Why did Bennie Thompson vote no?

https://twitter.com/grace_panetta/status/1367343474933170177

I believe he represents one of just 2 majority-black large rural districts in America.

I sympathise with the sentiment completely but I wouldn't have seen that happening.

[brucejoel99]

Per the H.R. 1 megathread, it wasn't an accident:

Why did Bennie Thompson vote no?

https://twitter.com/grace_panetta/status/1367343474933170177

[brucejoel99]

Lance Gooden also voted contrary to expectations (expected no, but voted yes), which would really be quite the shocker if he hadn't come out & said that it was indeed a flub:

https://twitter.com/Lancegooden/status/1367311137285541894