FREEPORT, N.Y. — The top House Democrat said this week that if his party wins a majority, election integrity will be a top priority in the next Congress. This issue was a top priority for former President Trump throughout his campaign. He made baseless claims of voter fraud, laying the groundwork for contesting the results if he lost.
In a sit-down interview with The Hill while on the road on Long Island, Democratic candidate Rep. Katherine Clark (Mass.) outlined her ambitious legislative agenda if Democrats take the gavel next year. did. Protections for access to abortion were repealed by the Supreme Court in 2022.
But she emphasized that all Democratic policy priorities stem from the Constitution's core idea that Americans hold the key to government and self-determination through their votes. With that in mind, Democrats will make their first legislative proposal in 2025, give the voting rights bill the coveted title H.R. 1, and work to protect democracy, she said. .
“We know that everything stems from voting rights and voter safety. And what we've seen is an attack on that right, with misinformation undermining Americans' faith in their integrity.” “It's true.” [of elections]” Clark said. “We have fair and secure elections in this country. … Donald Trump and J.D. Vance are still denying the 2020 election, which is outrageous.”
Under former Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), the Democratic Party pushed for sweeping election reforms aimed at expanding voting access and curbing the influence of money in elections. It was the first bill introduced in both the 116th and 117th Congresses, the last time Democrats controlled Congress. lower chamber.
Pelosi and her leadership team have since stepped back. But Clark, the No. 2 House Democrat, said if the new party leaders win a majority in November, they will follow suit if they prioritize election integrity and campaign finance.
He did not say which voting rights bill a potential majority would introduce first, but offered two options.
One is the For the People Act, which won HR1 in the last two Democratic-controlled Congresses. The bill, introduced by Rep. John Sarbanes (D-Md.), would expand voter access, make it harder for states to purge voter rolls, and overhaul campaign finance systems to reduce the power of the wealthy. The aim is to overhaul it and claim presidential authority. Candidates must release 10 years of tax returns. Each issue came to the fore this year in the race between Trump and Vice President Harris.
The bill passed the House in 2019 and 2021, but stalled in the Senate.
Clark also pointed to the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, which reinstates portions of the 1965 Voting Rights Act that were struck down by the Supreme Court in 2013. The repealed provision required states (mostly in the South) with a track record of voter discrimination. — Obtain federal approval before changing election procedures. A Democratic bill sponsored by Rep. Terry Sewell (D-Ala.) would restore those preclearance protections by updating the formula for determining which states are subject to special oversight. It has become.
“Whether it's John Lewis or Sarbanes, it's the right to vote,” Clark said. “But H.R. 1 will be a voting rights bill.”
House Majority Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York, who will become speaker if Democrats win a majority in November, has revealed details about his party's agenda if Democrats control the House next year. reluctant to do so. He noted that in addition to reproductive rights, tackling lower housing costs and expanding the family tax credit are tops on the party's early to-do list.
But in his final news conference at the Capitol before a long campaign hiatus, he told reporters what bills Democrats would bring to the floor in their first 100 days with a majority. He said he needed to talk to his party caucus before making any commitments.
At a rally on Long Island supporting Laura Guillen, who is running to unseat Rep. Anthony D'Esposito (R) in New York's 4th Congressional District, a key battleground district, Jeffries said He emphasized the importance of protecting the right to vote. He then mentioned the John Lewis Bill.
“This is one of only four seats we need to win to flip the House majority. No pressure on you guys, but this is one of only four seats we need to win to flip the House majority. It’s a seat,” Jeffries said. “If you send Laura Gillen to Congress, we can make sure we pass the John Roberts Lewis Voting Rights Improvement Act and end the era of voter suppression in America once and for all. Nothing can take away your voice, your power, your ability to decide your future.”
The comments came as both parties are in a frantic race to shore up support among voters in parallel races for control of the House of Representatives and the White House in the final stages of the campaign. The decision-making power still cannot be won by a narrow margin.
Democrats have focused much of their campaign messaging on Trump's actions after the 2020 election. Trump promoted false claims that he won the election against Joe Biden, only to have it “stolen” by corrupt Democrats, state election officials, and foreign government conspirators. and technology companies. This baseless rhetoric and President Trump's refusal to concede defeat led directly to the attack on the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021. At the time, a mob of Trump supporters tried unsuccessfully to prevent Congress from certifying Biden's victory and keep him in office.
House Democrats joined 10 Republicans in impeaching Trump for his role in the riot. However, the Republican-controlled Senate, led by then-Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), refused to convict Trump and allowed him to run for a second term.
The story remains an explosive issue in this year's campaign, with Trump continuing to claim he won the 2020 race, and vice presidential candidate Sen. J.D. Vance (R-Ohio) House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) — has declined multiple opportunities to correct the record.
Instead, they adopted Mr. Trump's warning that an army of illegal immigrants was poised to vote illegally and flip this year's election in favor of Ms. Harris and the Democratic Party. This is also a false claim, but it still resonates among conservative Republicans.
“I know intuitively that many illegals vote in federal elections,” Prime Minister Boris Johnson said earlier this year. “But that's not something that's easy to prove.”
Voting rights will be a top priority for House Democrats if they win a majority next year, and women's reproductive rights are poised to follow closely as dissatisfaction remains high after the loss of Roe v. Wade.
Democrats are also sounding the alarm about the impact of the Supreme Court decision, including efforts to restrict access to in vitro fertilization.
Asked what other issues the Democratic majority would take up soon, Clark immediately mentioned “reproductive freedom.”
“I will vote to ensure the stories we hear about women not having access to basic health care in times of crisis,” the whip said. “This is a national horror show directed at women. It's medical denial.”
“This focuses on health care, and ensuring that we restore equality for women in his country and protect pregnant women from receiving doctor-recommended treatment when they need it is a top priority for this Congress.” “It will continue to be a matter of concern in the future,” she added.
Clark did not say whether women's reproductive rights would receive a specialization in HR2, saying, “These will be decisions made by Speaker Hakeem Jeffries with his leadership team,” but Democrats has consistently argued for the Women's Health Protection Act, which codifies the protections afforded by Roe. Against Wade.
Democrats need to win a net four seats to take control of the House, which would lift the party out of its two-year minority wilderness and include Reps. Jeffries, Clark and Pete Aguilar of California. It will be a feat of empowerment. ), Chairman of the House Democratic Caucus.
Clark said the Troika plans to win a potential majority. But for now, the group is focused squarely on the task at hand: winning at least 218 seats and gaining a majority in the House of Representatives.
“We're planning for the future. We're ready,” Clark said. “But so do we, and our priority is to win on November 5th. It is the first step in an important process.”
