Landmark pro-democracy bill would strengthen American democracy, revive the Voting Rights Act amid wave of voter suppression efforts
U.S. Rep. Bill Pascrell, Jr. (D-NJ-09) today voted in favor of H.R. 1, the For the People Act, a massive civil and voting rights package put forth by Democrats to restore American democracy. Among other important provisions, the bill would block voter suppression laws, ban partisan gerrymandering, establish automatic voter registration, expand voting access, overhaul the campaign finance system, and make Election Day a national holiday. Rep. Pascrell and House Democrats originally passed H.R. 1 in March 2019, but the bill was blocked by the Republican-controlled Senate.
“Today the House is passing the most important pro-democracy bill undertaken by Congress since 1965,” said Rep. Pascrell. “The Voting Rights Act remains the gold standard of our republic because it guaranteed that after nearly 200 years of inequity, for the first time the United States could finally attain its full promise. But American democracy is under attack. Across the nation, over 250 bills have been offered to suppress voting and rig elections. Our action today breathes new life into the VRA so that the voting rights of all our citizens cannot never be stolen away. If we do not act now, we may lurch irreparably down the path of illiberalism and authoritarianism. The stakes could not be higher. We vote today to save democracy in America.
“Additionally I am thrilled that the House has included my Presidential Tax Transparency Act in this bill, which will require all candidates for national office to release their tax returns. After the last four years of unprecedented corruption, House Democrats are today injecting vital oversight into our federal elections.”
Included in H.R. 1 is Rep. Pascrell’s Presidential Tax Transparency Act, which would require sitting presidents and vice presidents and major party candidates for the presidency and vice-presidency to publicly disclose their 10 most recent federal income tax returns. Last Congress, Rep. Pascrell voted to restore the Voting Rights Act through H.R. 4, the Voting Rights Advancement Act of 2019. Co-sponsored by Pascrell, the legislation would have reimplemented many important provisions of the original 1965 bill that prevented voter discrimination and suppression. The legislation has since been renamed the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act.
Rep. Pascrell has long fought to protect the right to vote and preserve the integrity of our elections. In 2019, helped pass H.R. 2722, the Securing America’s Federal Elections Act, and co-sponsored the previous version of H.R. 1.
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