Here's something you can (and should!) do for American democracy
Keep the pressure on to stop an appalling voter-suppression bill so that it never gets Senate approval
The so-called SAVE Act has an Orwellian name — like the Ministry of Truth in the novel “1984,” it sounds positive but is pure evil under the surface.
But in this case, the problem isn’t fictional. It’s all too real.
The SAVE Act was approved last week in the U.S. House of Representatives and needs to be stopped in the Senate. Every Republican voted for it — and so did four Democrats. (I’ll name them farther down in this post.)
“The SAVE Act would put voting out of reach for millions of American citizens. It should not become law,” said Michael Waldman, who heads the nonpartisan, democracy-oriented Brennan Center for Justice, calling it one of the “worst pieces of voting legislation in American history.”
More than 20 million American citizens don’t have readily available the documents that the SAVE Act would require — a birth certificate or passport proving their citizenship when they register to vote. And that registration has to be done in person, eliminating online voter registration or voter-registration drives.
And get this: Married women who have changed their last name would have to show documentation that proves they once had a different name.
Those who tend not to have a passport or ready access to their birth certificate tend to be working-class or lower-income Americans, including many Black and Hispanic citizens. Young people, who tend to move a lot more than older Americans, are heavily affected, too. (The bill requires proof of citizenship every time you re-register.)
Add nearly 70 million women who have changed their names, and you’ve effectively strengthened the voting power of the very people that conservative Republicans — certainly those in MAGA World — like best: The white men who form the most dependable part of Donald Trump’s base.
In the Senate, the bill will need 60 votes to pass. Right now, according to some calculations, there are 53 supporters.
If you are a constituent of any of the following senators — who could make the difference — you should call and write them to urge a “no” vote. If you aren’t, you should make sure that your friends and relatives who do live in their jurisdictions are aware of the SAVE Act’s dangers and that they make contact with their senators.
Democrats who might cross the aisle to vote yes: The two Arizona senators, Mark Kelly and Ruben Gallego. The two Georgia senators, Raphael Warnock and John Ossoff. The two Michigan senators, Elissa Slotkin and Gary Peters. The two Nevada senators, Jackie Rosen and Catherine Cortez Masto. Also John Fetterman of Pennsylvania; Mark Warner of Virginia; and both New Hampshire senators — Maggie Hassan and Jeanne Shaheen — who voted yes on the anti-immigrant Laken Riley Act.
Republicans who might vote no: Lisa Murkowski of Alaska. Mitch McConnell and Rand Paul of Kentucky. Susan Collins of Maine.
Whatever you may think of New York senator Chuck Schumer — maybe you think it’s time he moved on — he was admirably direct in expressing his disgust after passage in the House. Calling the bill an assault on American democracy, he said: “Congressional Republicans are pushing a proposal that would coerce states into instituting policies that would effectively prevent millions of American citizens from voting, stymie automatic voter registration and derail in-person voter registration drives. It is an outrage.”
Trump, of course, is flogging it hard, and hopes an executive order mandating it will make it the law. However, it does require Congressional approval. (By the way, if passed, voting experts say it would be the only time Congress has harmed rather than protected voting rights.)
So, do your part, readers. There’s nothing more central to democracy than the right to vote. And we shouldn’t have to jump through bureaucratic hoops to do so. One other note: There is scant evidence of voter fraud that would make such a change necessary. Here’s a well-researched exploration of that subject from NPR, if you need some ammunition.
Separately, I was fascinated by your comments — more than 300 of them — on how you experienced or participated in the April 5th “Hands Off” protests in many locations around the country. The comments followed my post from last week in which I complained about the overall light coverage in many places.
I appreciated hearing about how your local news media covered it — a wide range from dominant front-page stories and photos to almost nothing, or just a couple of photos.
Here’s my question for you this week: Are you keeping tuned in to the news, or have you decided to take a break, or possibly limited your exposure in some way? Remember, the chaos is purposeful. It’s supposed to exhaust you. (The tariffs alone!) But it’s more than reasonable to not let it come at you like a blast from a firehose at all hours. Tell me how you’re coping — or not.
Here are the Democratic members of Congress who joined Republicans to approve the voter-suppression bill: Jared Golden of Maine, Marie Perez of Washington, Henry Cuellar of Texas, and Ed Case of Hawaii.
And here is a column I wrote for the Guardian last week about four individuals or institutions who are setting a good example by not “obeying in advance” by capitulating to Donald Trump’s demands.
Thank you, readers, for all your interest, support and participation. Hang in there.
Mark Warner has stated he will vote against the bill, thankfully.
This is a terrific call to action, and I do hope those who are constituents of any of the Senators you list will burn up the phone lines on this. I am going to take this moment, too, to appreciate Chuck Schumer, who is one of my two Senators. He is a brilliant herder of Senatorial cats, and a statesman, taking the heat to give more vulnerable Democratic Senators cover when they need it. The majority and minority leader positions are almost impossible to do well, and Schumer is particularly good at what he does in those positions. Believe me, I have my disagreements with Schumer’s stances on certain issues I think are important, but I want also to give credit where it is due. I am certainly very glad he stood up to be counted on this perfidious bill.