Read on Twitter
We must make progress on healthcare, climate change, civil rights, & more. We won't do it all in two years, and the 2020 Census mean more gerrymandering is coming to make our system less Democratic. For progress, we need process. Pass the For the People Act. Thread time.
First, I know process legislation isn't sexy. But we really need it to fix the system. And this is a popular act. This poll shows 65% of Americans are for the act, INCLUDING 35% of Trump voters. https://crooked.com/articles/pollercoaster-bidens-first-100/
This article breaks down what's in the bill. Here's what we got:
1. Automatic voter registration, expand early and absentee voting, restore voting rights for felons, streamline the vote-by-mail process. https://www.esquire.com/news-politics/a35296946/hr1-for-the-people-bill-reform-money-in-politics/
1. Automatic voter registration, expand early and absentee voting, restore voting rights for felons, streamline the vote-by-mail process. https://www.esquire.com/news-politics/a35296946/hr1-for-the-people-bill-reform-money-in-politics/
2. "It prohibits various voter-suppression tactics currently in vogue, like the voter purges we've seen in Ohio and Georgia, and enhances election security through promoting the use of paper ballots and strengthening oversight of election-system vendors."
3. "It backs a separate push to grant statehood to Washington, D.C., though it does not do so directly."
4. "End partisan gerrymandering. Instead of state legislatures drawing the districts...states would use independent commissions policed by strong conflict-of-interest rules."
4. "End partisan gerrymandering. Instead of state legislatures drawing the districts...states would use independent commissions policed by strong conflict-of-interest rules."
5. Stop dark money in politics. Disclosure requirements for online political advertisements expanded and strengthened. Plus a "Right to Know" policy where corporations would have to make shareholders aware of their specific political activity.
"It would root out participation of foreign nationals in fundraising—a foreign money ban...beef up disclosure requirements for organizations engaging in political spending by reinforcing the IRS powers to investigate misuse of charities to hide the source of political money."
6. "The bill gives teeth to the Office of Government Ethics, which will have more enforcement authority when dealing with the Executive Branch."
7. "It mandates presidents release tax returns, expands conflict-of-interest policy and divestment requirements, attempts to slow the "revolving door" by which members of Congress & their staff flit from government and the private sector, peddling their insider connections."
8. The bill seeks to ends "shadow lobbying." Called "the Michael Cohen exception," where people who don't lobby directly, but stand in the shadows directing others.
All of these are awesome and important and FAIR. These are all moving in the right direction. In particular, I want to talk about #4, because more gerrymandering is coming. I know a lot happened in 2020, and one of those more boring things was a Census. But it was important.
The Census determines which states gain and lose electoral votes and Congressional reps among other things. Right now STATES decide how their district lines are drawn. A lot of Dem-run states have legislation that has a bipartisan commission draw the lines.
But many Republican-run states don't. The legislatures (which are full of Republicans) draw lines in ways that are advantageous for their party and don't represent the people of the state. Just look at these districts: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2014/05/15/americas-most-gerrymandered-congressional-districts/
Those lines will be redrawn before the 2022 midterms. Republicans need to pick up just 6 seats in the house to control it. They can do at least that many through gerrymandering. You know what that means? Pretty much no federal progress on healthcare, climate change, etc.
It also means we slip closer to authoritarianism. The For the People Act is POPULAR. But the Republicans in power, already there thanks to an unfair and undemocratic system, want to stay there. We have to push for it.
So what can you do? Make noise. Shout about it on Twitter, Facebook, at rallies, in meetings, and on your Zoom calls. Then contact your Reps. Tell them we need this. Thank those who publicly support it. Shame those who don't.
Find your rep here: https://www.house.gov/representatives/find-your-representative
Your senators are important to. Call them: https://www.senate.gov/states/statesmap.htm
