Biden to Promote Two Key Minority Voting Rights Bills in Georgia

President Joe Biden will travel to Georgia on Tuesday to rally public support for two bills aimed at protecting minority voting rights, which he accuses Republicans of endangering.

Here are the main elements of the legislation under debate in the Senate:

Freedom to Vote Act

Backed by Democrats, the Freedom to Vote Act makes election day a public holiday, expands voting by mail, and allows same-day voter registration.

The bill also expands the list of identification documents that can be presented at polling stations when voting, a measure criticized by Republicans who believe it may facilitate fraud.

And it rescinds some of the restrictions passed in several Republican-led states since Donald Trump’s defeat in the 2020 presidential election.

In particular, the legislation takes aim at a law passed in Georgia last year, which prevents the distribution of drinks or snacks to citizens lining up to vote.

Activists say the measure might discourage voting in this southern state, after some voters had to wait more than 10 hours in humid heat to cast their ballots in the 2020 election.

Activists also argue the law is particularly discriminatory against African-Americans, who often live in neighborhoods with fewer polling stations and who overwhelmingly voted for Biden.

John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act

The John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, named after famed American civil rights activist and congressman John Lewis, is another measure aimed at boosting minority voting rights.

The bill prohibits adoption of legislation that would result in discriminatory voting practices, even if they are not overt or intentional.

It restores key provisions of the Voting Rights Advancement Act, a landmark voting rights law that was passed in 1965 during the civil rights movement but was significantly watered down by the Supreme Court in recent years.

In Georgia, Biden will seek to promote the two bills, which have already passed the House of Representatives and are expected to be voted on in the Senate this week, according to Senate Majority leader Chuck Schumer.

But the Democrat majority in the Senate is far too narrow for Schumer to be able to push the bill through and he has threatened to initiate a major procedural reform in the upper chamber in a bid to force Republicans to cooperate.

So far, only one Republican, Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, has spoken in favor of the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act. The Freedom to Vote Act has no supporters among Republican Senators.

RELATED ARTICLES

VP Harris Gets Booed During Appearance At NCAA Basketball Game

While watching an NCAA Tournament game on Thursday, Vice President Kamala Harris received a barrage of jeers. Her old institution Howard University...

CNN Crew Robbed While Reporting on Woke City’s Rampant Crime

While covering the city's escalating violence, a CNN crew was mugged in San Francisco. On Friday, CNN journalist Kyung...

First State to Ban Transgender Individuals From Using Public School Bathroom of Choice

Arkansas Gov Sarah Huckabee Sanders signed a law prohibiting transgender people at public schools from using the restroom that matches their gender...

McCarthy Not Backing Down on Jan. 6

For many years, the only proof that Americans saw coming from inside the US Capitol building on that crucial day early in...

James O’Keefe Returns After Sudden Departure

James O'Keefe, the founder and chairman of Project Veritas, was placed on paid leave by the board of directors, according to a...

Putin Issued ARREST WARRANT By International Criminal Court

The International Criminal Court has issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin in connection with the Ukrainian conflict.

YOU MAY ALSO LIKE…

LATEST POSTS ON THE DAILY ELEPHANT

Most Recent

First State to Ban Transgender Individuals From Using Public School Bathroom of Choice

Arkansas Gov Sarah Huckabee Sanders signed a law prohibiting transgender people at public schools from using the restroom that matches their gender...

James O’Keefe Returns After Sudden Departure

James O'Keefe, the founder and chairman of Project Veritas, was placed on paid leave by the board of directors, according to a...

CNN Crew Robbed While Reporting on Woke City’s Rampant Crime

While covering the city's escalating violence, a CNN crew was mugged in San Francisco. On Friday, CNN journalist Kyung...

Here’s When John Fetterman Could Be Released From the Hospital

During the 2022 Democratic primary for the Pennsylvania Senate seat, then-Lt. Governor John Fetterman had a stroke. Despite needing weeks to recover...

Putin Issued ARREST WARRANT By International Criminal Court

The International Criminal Court has issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin in connection with the Ukrainian conflict.

VP Harris Gets Booed During Appearance At NCAA Basketball Game

While watching an NCAA Tournament game on Thursday, Vice President Kamala Harris received a barrage of jeers. Her old institution Howard University...