The House of Representatives pushed forward dangerous legislation called The John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act on a partisan party line vote, 219-212. The bill now heads to the Senate. H.R. 4 would give bureaucrats in the Department of Justice (DOJ) nearly limitless power using a process called preclearance to veto new election laws in every single state. This is especially troubling given the DOJ’s history of filing unwarranted objections against state election laws based on its bias in favor of liberal advocacy groups.
H.R. 4 would also change legal standards to make it almost impossible for states to defend themselves against meritless charges and litigation.
H.R. 4’s stated purpose is to prevent racial discrimination, but in reality, it would:
- force racial gerrymandering,
- make race the predominant factor in the election process,
- advance the partisan interests of one political party,
- and prevent common-sense election reforms like voter ID
This legislation is yet another attack on our Constitutional Republic and attempts to override the principle established in our Constitution to give states the authority to determine election law. Like HR1 / S1, this bill threatens the very foundation of our government and our election process.
Urge your Senators to vote NO on H.R. 4.