Yesterday, U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., spoke at a press conference highlighting the problems with Senate Democrats’ S.1, “The For the People Act.”
In his remarks, Wicker cited the strong opposition many Americans have against provisions of the legislation.
“The mainstream media’s coverage of S. 1 has been so frustrating,” Wicker said. “I turn on the TV and they say, ‘Today the Senate will have a hearing on legislation, S.1, to make it easier for Americans to vote’…. But when we get into the details of this legislation, S. 1., and you go one by one and ask the American people do they agree or do they disagree, then they begin to understand what’s wrong with this bill.”
Wicker also cited provisions of the legislation that would prevent states from implementing voter ID legislation.
“I don’t know how many times I’ve had to show this driver’s license this week,” Wicker said. “You ask the American people, ‘Should states have a right to ask for ID to show that the person voting is in indeed who they say they are?,’ the American people are overwhelmingly supportive of that.”
Among other provisions, S. 1 would:
o Require states to allow ballot harvesting, a practice in which paid operatives can deliver completed ballots to the polls without voters showing up.
o Make mail-in voting a permanent requirement of our elections well beyond the COVID-19 pandemic, instead of leaving that issue up to individual states.
o Allow felons to vote the moment they leave prison, regardless of pending parole or service obligations.
o Forbid states from implementing voter ID laws, which protect against underage and non-citizen voting.
o Force states to implement automatic voter registration, Election Day registration, and online registration, creating a recipe for confusion at the polls.
o Require states to adopt federal voter lists into their databases while forbidding states from keeping voter rolls up to date.
o Force states to count non-citizens in the redrawing of congressional districts, giving an unfair advantage to areas with higher non-citizen populations, rewarding sanctuary cities, and diluting representation for states like Mississippi.
o Destroy the bipartisan balance on the Federal Elections Commission by cutting the number of commissioners from six to five, ensuring that one party can control the commission’s agenda.
Wicker is a member of the Senate Rules Committee, which has jurisdiction over S. 1. See Senator Wicker’s remarks to the committee here.
Press Release
3/25/2021
Magnolia Tribune
