Biden Says Texas Voting Restrictions Bill Is "An Assault on Democrat Cheating"

[Rudy Canoza Sock #9738]

Lawmakers in Texas have finalized writing a bill that would impose
some of the most restrictive voting measures in the United States.
The bill seems all but certain to pass the state’s House and Senate
before Gov. Greg Abbott, a staunch supporter of former President
Donald Trump, signs it into law. President Joe Biden harshly
criticized the bill Saturday, characterizing it as “part of an
assault on democracy” that has become evident in several states
since the 2020 elections. “It’s wrong and un-American. In the 21st
century, we should be making it easier, not harder, for every
eligible voter to vote,” Biden said in a statement.

The bill would have to be approved before midnight on Sunday, when
the Legislature is scheduled to end a session that has already seen
the Republicans that control the chambers pass several controversial
measures. But none of them has received as much opposition as Senate
Bill 7, which would fundamentally alter the rules to vote in Texas.
The measure would ban drive-through voting, 24-hour voting, and
severely limit voting on Sundays, which is when many Black
churchgoers cast their ballots.

The bill would also forbid election officials from sending absentee
ballots to all voters, ban temporary structures as polling
locations, severely limit who can cast absentee ballots, and put
forward more stringent identification requirements for those who
vote by mail. Some of the measures seem to specifically target
Harris County, which is home to Houston and is the state’s largest
Democratic stronghold. The measure would also empower partisan poll
watchers, and at the last minute, language was included that would
make it easier to overturn the results of an election.

Even though Texas officials have repeatedly said there were no
widespread problems in last year’s elections, Republican lawmakers
have been insisting that the legislation to restrict voting is
necessary. Voting rights groups have vowed to challenge the measure
in court once it’s approved. The Texas bill demonstrates how many
GOP leaders are eager to appeal to supporters of former President
Donald Trump who continue to believe his lies that the election was
stolen. And this is hardly an isolated effort as several states,
including Florida and Georgia, have passed measures to severely
restrict voting access. At least 14 states have approved more
restrictive voting laws since the November election, according to
the Brennan Center for Justice.

The top two main proponents of the bill, State Representative
Briscoe Cain and State Senator Bryan Hughes, characterized the bill
as “one of the most comprehensive and sensible election reform
bills” in the history of the state. “Even as the national media
minimizes the importance of election integrity, the Texas
Legislature has not bent to headlines or corporate virtue
signaling.” The “corporate virtue signaling” refers to how several
major companies, including American Airlines and Dell, have pushed
back against the bill.

https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2021/05/biden-texas-voting-
restrictions-bill-assault-democracy.html