The House of Representatives passed a massive bill today that would make it easier to vote, reduce the corrupting influence of dark money in elections, and revamp ethics regulations.
H.R. 1, the bill House Democrats have dubbed “For the People Act,” was introduced by Maryland’s Rep. John Sarbanes and passed today by a 234-193 vote. It is a sweeping package of pro-democracy and anti-corruption reforms that House Democrats say will put the power back in the hands of the American people by ending the dominance of big money in politics; making it easier, not harder, to vote; and ensuring that politicians actually serve the public interest.
“Today, the swamp in Washington took the most direct hit that it has experienced in decades when House Democrats voted to restore power to the American people, clean up the corruption in Washington, and reform our democracy,” said Congressman Mark Pocan [D-WI2] in a statement. “With the passage of the For the People Act, House Democrats are making our government more ethical, expanding the right to vote, ensuring transparency by our elected leaders, and ending the out-of-control influence of big money in politics. These are concrete steps that will make a serious difference in our democracy and move us towards a system where government works for the public interest, not the special interests.”
“As an original cosponsor of the For the People Act, I’m grateful that parts of two of my bills, the Voter Roll Integrity Act and Secure America’s Future Elections Act, were included in this legislation,” continued Pocan. “Ensuring that voter rolls can no longer be erroneously purged of still-eligible voters due to the interstate voter registration cross-check program, a tactic that Republicans across the country have employed to exclude millions of voters, and establishing paper ballot and manual counting requirements for electronic voting to safeguard our elections from foreign interference are critical steps in restoring confidence in election outcomes.”
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., has made it clear he does not plan to give the bill a vote in the Senate, therefore effectively killing the bill.
