Republicans' Grip on Minority Rule Extends Far Beyond Their Voter Suppression Bills

By Robert Reich, Robert Reich's Facebook Page

23 May 21

oe Manchin has recently made headlines for his “surprisingly bold” proposal to tackle Republicans’ wave of voter suppression bills. In his proposal, the preclearance requirement in the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act would apply to all 50 states and territories — not just states and locales with histories of voter suppression. The Supreme Court gutted the preclearance requirement in its 2013 decision in Shelby County v. Holder, which required states with a history of voter suppression to get any new voting law approved by the Department of Justice or a federal court in Washington, D.C. That decision opened the floodgates for the voting restrictions we’re seeing today.

This is a great idea. But here’s where it gets tricky: Manchin is proposing this as an alternative to the For the People Act — not in addition to it. This preclearance requirement wouldn’t deal with partisan gerrymandering, the dominance of big money, and would be essentially worthless when the Department of Justice is under Republican control and can “clear” anything.

Republicans’ grip on minority rule extends far beyond their voter suppression bills. That’s why the For the People Act is the only way to unrig their entrenched power and make our democracy work for everyone.

That’s my view. What do you think?