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Republican's Attempt to Disenfranchise Large Numbers of Legal Voters


YIELD TWO MINUTES TO THE DISTINGUISHED MINORITY WHIP, MY GOOD FRIEND, STENY HOYER. THE SPEAKER PRO TEMPORE: THE GENTLEMAN IS RECOGNIZED FOR TWO MINUTES. MR. HOYER: I THANK THE GENTLEMAN FOR YIELDING. AND I RISE IN OPPOSITION TO THIS BILL. THE GENTLEMAN WHO HAS JUST SPOKEN REPRESENTS GEORGIA. GEORGIA PASSED A BILL. THE SUPERIOR COURT HAS NOW TWICE HELD THAT BILL TO BE UNCONSTITUTIONAL. IT'S UNCONSTITUTIONAL BECAUSE IT UNDERMINES THE ABILITY OF AMERICANS TO VOTE. IT, IN EFFECT, IMPOSES ADDITIONAL TESTS. IN MY STATE -- I'VE BEEN ACTIVE FOR 40 YEARS, I'LL TELL MY FRIEND. I DON'T REMEMBER A CASE, NOT ONE WHERE CITIZENSHIP WAS RAISED IN OUR STATE. I VENTURE, IF I ASKED ALL OF YOU TO PROVE TO ME YOU WERE A U.S. CITIZEN RIGHT NOW, NOBODY ON THIS FLOOR COULD DO IT, NOT ONE OF YOU. YOU MIGHT GIVE ME A LICENSE, YOU MIGHT SAY, WELL, I WAS BORN HERE, THERE, OR EVERYWHERE, BUT NOBODY COULD PROVE THEY WERE A U.S. CITIZEN. LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, THIS BILL IS TANTAMOUNT TO A 21ST CENTURY POLL TAX. IT WOULD DISENFRANCHISE LARGE NUMBERS OF LEGAL VOTERS AND DISPROPORTIONATELY AFFECT ELDERLY PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES, RURAL VOTERS, STUDENTS, RACIAL AND ETHNIC MINORITIES, AND LOW-INCOME VOTERS. INDEED, THAT MAY BE ITS PURPOSE . HEAR ME. THAT MAY BE ITS PURPOSE. ALL OF THESE FOLKS ARE LESS LIKELY TO HAVE THE CURRENT VALID PHOTO IDENTIFICATION REQUIRED BY THIS BILL. IT IS HIGHLY IRONIC, MR. SPEAKER, THAT JUST A FEW SHORT WEEKS AGO THIS CONGRESS RE-AUTHORIZED HE CAN PROVISIONS OF THE VOTING RIGHTS ACT OF -- KEY PROVISIONS OF THE VOTING RIGHTS ACT OF 1965, AFTER DEFEATING A NUMBER OF CRIPPLING AMENDMENTS OFFERED BY THE OTHER SIDE OF THE AISLE. THAT LANDMARK LAW DESIGNED TO MAKE VOTING EASIER AND MORE FAIR AND TO ADDRESS CENTURIES, CENTURIES OF DISCRIMINATION. PEOPLE WERE TOLD THEY COULDN'T VOTE BECAUSE OF THE COLOR OF THEIR SKIN, PEOPLE WERE TOLD THEY COULDN'T VOTE BECAUSE OF THEIR GENDER. MAY I HAVE AN ADDITIONAL MINUTE? MR. HASTINGS: I YIELD THE GENTLEMAN AN ADDITIONAL MINUTE. THE SPEAKER PRO TEMPORE: THE GENTLEMAN IS RECOGNIZED FOR ONE MINUTE. MR. HOYER: THEY WERE TOLD YOU CAN GO TO WAR, BUT YOU CAN'T VOTE. WE'VE CHANGED THAT. LET US NOT NOW RETREAT AND SAY YES, BUT WE'RE GOING TO MAKE IT MORE DIFFICULT. TODAY THROUGH THIS VOTER I.D. BILL, THE REPUBLICAN MAJORITY WOULD MAKE VOTING MORE ONEROUS AND BURDENSOME FOR MANY, MANY AMERICANS. SHOW ME THE CASES, SHOW ME THE EXAMPLES OF THE PROBLEM YOU'RE TRYING TO SOLVE. MR. SPEAKER, THIS LEGISLATION IS NOTHING MORE THAN A PARTISAN POLITICAL STUNT. ALL OF US ARE UNITED IN SEEKING TO ELIMINATE VOTER FRAUD. I STAND AGAINST VOTER FRAUD. I WORKED WITH THE HELP AMERICA VOTE ACT COALITION TO PASS THE HELP AMERICA VOTE ACT. WE HAVE STAFF HERE WHO WORKED VERY HARD ON THAT BILL. AND WE DEBATED THIS ISSUE, AND THE CONGRESS REJECTED IT. BUT NOW SEVEN DAYS LEFT IN A SESSION, LET US APPEAL TO THE FEAR, AND YES, PERHAPS THE PREJUDICE OF PEOPLE. I ASK THAT THIS BILL BE DEFEATED. IT IS A BAD BILL FOR AMERICA. IT'S A BAD BILL FOR DEMOCRACY. THE SPEAKER PRO TEMPORE: THE GENTLEMAN'S TIME HAS EXPIRED. MR. HOYER: IT'S A BAD BILL FOR THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TO PASS. THE SPEAKER PRO TEMPORE: THE GENTLEMAN'S TIME HAS EXPIRED. THE GENTLELADY FROM WEST VIRGINIA. MRS. CAPITO: THANK YOU, MR. SPEAKER. I WOULD LIKE TO -- YOU ASKED FOR EXAMPLES. MR. HOYER: YES. MRS. CAPITO: I HAVE AN EXAMPLE HERE DONE BY THE JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY SCIENCE STUDENTS THAT FOUND 1,500 DEAD PEOPLE LISTED WHO HAD VOTED IN PAST ELECTIONS. NOW, YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT ONEROUS VOTING, IT IS DIFFICULT TO GET OUT OF A GRAVE AND VOTE. MR. HOYER: WOULD THE LADY YIELD? MRS. CAPITO: YES, SIR. MR. HOYER: THEY FOUND 1,500. CAN THE LADY CITE ME ONE INSTANCE OF A CRIMINAL CHARGE BEING PROVEN THAT THAT IS THE CASE? I DON'T DOUBT THAT YOU CAN ASSERT THAT SOME PEOPLE SAID THERE'S FRAUD. YES. CAN YOU CITE ME ONE CONVICTION OF ANYBODY WHO FACILITATED ONE OF THOSE 1,500 DEAD PEOPLE GOING IN, SAYING I'M SAM BROWN, WHO'S DEAD, AND I WANT TO VOTE? CAN YOU CITE ME ONE EXAMPLE OF ONE CONVICTION WHERE THAT WAS FOUND TO BE THE FACT AS OPPOSED TO AN ASSERTION. MRS. CAPITO: AFTER THE FACT, I CANNOT CITE YOU ONE EXAMPLE, BUT I DON'T THINK THE GENTLEMAN WOULD DENY THAT FRAUD HAS OCCURRED AND HAS OCCURRED UNDER THIS -- MR. HOYER: WOULD THE GENTLELADY YIELD? MRS. CAPITO: I'M GOING TO CONTINUE -- MANUFACTURE HOYER: CAN I JUST RESPOND THAT I DO AGREE WITH THE GENTLELADY THAT FRAUD DOES OCCUR, AND WHEN IT OCCURS, WE OUGHT TO PROSECUTE IT. WHEN FRAUD OCCURS, WE OUGHT TO PUT THOSE PEOPLE IN JAIL BECAUSE THEY UNDERMINE THE REST OF US WHO ARE VOTING HONESTLY AND FAIRLY. WHAT WE OUGHT NOT TO DO IS RESPOND TO THAT BY MAKING IT MORE DIFFICULT FOR MANY AMERICANS TO CAST THE BASIC RIGHT THAT THEY HAVE AS AMERICAN CITIZENS TO VOTE. I THANK THE GENTLELADY FOR YIELDING.




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