Klobuchar: Infrastructure bill could include voting measures
Source: AP
By CHRISTINA A. CASSIDY
ATLANTA (AP) Congressional Democrats are exploring ways to include financial incentives for states to expand voting access as part of a multitrillion-dollar infrastructure bill, a key senator said Sunday.
Democrats have been struggling to get their marquee election reform bill passed in an evenly split Senate, where Republicans remain unified in their opposition and rules require 60 votes to advance most pieces of legislation.
Sen. Amy Klobuchar, a Democrat from Minnesota who chairs the powerful Senate Rules Committee, said in an interview that the priority continues to be passing the legislation known as the For the People Act, which would usher in minimum voting standards in the U.S. such as automatic and same-day voter registration, early voting and no-excuse absentee voting.
But Klobuchar noted that Democrats could also use the process known as reconciliation to advance financial incentives for states to adopt certain reforms. Election systems have been designated critical infrastructure on par with the nations power plants, banks and dams.
Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., speaks with reporters as the Senate prepares for a key test vote on the For the People Act, a sweeping bill that would overhaul the election system and voting rights, at the Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, June 22, 2021. The bill is a top priority for Democrats seeking to ensure access to the polls and mail in ballots, but it is opposed by Republicans as a federal overreach. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
Read more: https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-business-government-and-politics-voting-bills-ab5a348677432d66033dc85b5a2dc0f3
raging moderate
(4,308 posts)Right-wing loonies are trashing Senator Klobuchar's excellent answers. Actually, they are not really targeting her answers so much as using her as an excuse to vent! Still, some well-informed support might help a great deal at this point!
appalachiablue
(41,171 posts)ColinC
(8,329 posts)Although I imagine this could be a tough sell to the parliamentarian. Unless they can get the fifty votes to change the rules for this one exception?
Lonestarblue
(10,066 posts)The ES&S machines have no paper backup and they have come under suspicion many times in areas where Republicans far outperform polls, such as Lindsey Grahams surprising margin over Jaime Harrison or Mitch McConnells continued double-digit wins in areas that have traditionally voted Democratic. Being able to compare the voters choices on the paper backup to the final machine tallies, as was done in Georgia, would be a great improvement. I dont know whether this is in the voting rights bill, but it should be.
Calista241
(5,586 posts)Since it's not about spending money.