DO IN TERMS OF THAT PART OF ITS
PURVIEW.
TELL US HOW THAT LED TO THIS
DECISION TODAY, THIS REMARKABLE
DECISION, FOR THE FIRST TIME IN
20 YEARS TO TAKE THE RULES
COMMITTEE OUT ON THE ROAD, OUT
TO GEORGIA.
>> RACHEL, OVER 400 BILLS
INTRODUCED ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
28 OF THEM SIGNED INTO LAW.
AND EXHIBIT A IS THE ONE IN
GEORGIA.
AND AS WE LEARNED TODAY, THE
DEVIL IS IN THE DETAILS.
ITS YES, ABOUT THE WATER THAT
WILL BE DENIED VOTERS IN LINE,
NON-PARTISAN VOLUNTEERS AS WE
LEARNED YESTERDAY, STACEY ABRAMS
AND I DID AN EVENT IN COBB
COUNTY, AND VOTERS HAD WAITED
FOR SEVEN HOURS, FOR FIVE HOURS.
BUT WHAT WE ALSO LEARNED TODAY,
AND I WANT TO THANK INCREDIBLE
COMMITTEE MEMBERS SENATOR
PADILLA, SENATOR MERKLEY,
SENATOR OSSOFF AS WELL AS
SENATOR WARNOCK, THE OTHER
SENATOR FROM GEORGIA, WHO
TESTIFIED TODAY.
THIS IS WHAT WE LEARNED.
THE RUNOFF PERIOD, 28 DAYS.
USED TO BE NINE WEEKS WHEN
OSSOFF AND WARNOCK WON.
REDUCED TO 28 DAYS.
AND GUESS WHAT, RACHEL, YOU CAN
REGISTER TO VOTE 29 DAYS.
SO NO NEW VOTER CAN REGISTER AND
YOU CANNOT VOTE ON WEEKENDS IN
THE RUNOFF BUT YOU CAN IN THE
GENERAL.
EVERYTHING IS DONE TO SOW
CONFUSION.
LIMITED HOURS FOR THE BALLOT
DROP BOXES.
LESS BALLOT DROP BOXES.
LIMITED RESTRICTIONS WHEN IT
COMES TO MAIL-IN BALLOTING.
ITS ONE THING AFTER ANOTHER.
AND YOU BROUGHT UP ONE OF THE
MOST EGREGIOUS THINGS, AND
SENATOR WARNOCK HAS A BILL TO
FIX IT, THAT BASICALLY TAKES THE
POWER THAT WAS INSTILLED IN THE
LOCAL OFFICIALS AND THE LOCAL
ELECTION BOARDS AND THEN
BASICALLY SAYS HEY, STATE
ELECTION BOARD, WERE GOING TO
THROW OFF 2/3 OF YOUR MEMBERS,
WERE GOING TO REPLACE THEM WITH
OUR OWN SO ITS A REPUBLICAN
LEGISLATURE AND THEN IF WE FIND
A FEW TECHNICAL VIOLATIONS WERE
GOING TO GET RID OF YOUR LOCAL
ELECTION OFFICIALS.
THIS IS A PURE SMACKDOWN OF
VOTING RIGHTS, AND ITS WHY WE
WENT THERE AND ITS WHY THE
SOLUTION IS THE FOR THE PEOPLE
ACT.
BASIC NATIONAL --
>> THE FOR THE PEOPLE ACT
OBVIOUSLY IS THE SUBJECT OF ALL
SORTS OF ACTIVISM AND
STRATEGIZING AND WORK AND
SPEECHIFYING, AND WERE SEEING
SORT OF PRESSURE IN ALL THE
DIFFERENT WAYS THAT IT COMES
INCLUDING THIS INCREASINGLY
DRAMATIC DIRECT ACTION EVENTS,
PEOPLE ENGAGING IN PEACEFUL
CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE.
BLOCKING TRAFFIC TO TRY TO --
CHANGE THE SENATE RULES TO GET
TO A PLACE WHERE DEMOCRATS CAN
PASS THIS WITHOUT REPUBLICAN
VOTES OR TO POTENTIALLY CHANGE
MINDS IN TERMS OF TURNING NO
VOTES INTO YESES?
>> THERES MANY PATHS.
FIRST OF ALL, I WOULD ABOLISH
THE FILIBUSTER, AND I KNOW SOME
OF MY COLLEAGUES ARENT YET IN
THE SAME PLACE.
THERE IS THE POSSIBILITY OF
CARVING OUT AN EXCEPTION FOR
VOTING RIGHTS.
SUCH A KEY CONSTITUTIONAL VALUE.
AS REVEREND WARNOCK SAID AT
EBENEZER CHURCH ON SUNDAY, EVERY
VOTE IS A PRAYER.
YOU COULD ALSO, AND SENATOR
MANCHIN HAS INDICATED
WILLINGNESS TO LOOK AT A
STANDING FILIBUSTER WHERE WE
FORCE OUR COLLEAGUES TO STAND
THERE DAY AFTER DAY AFTER DAY.
THAT IS ULTIMATELY HOW CIVIL
RIGHTS LEGISLATION PASSED.
THERE IS THE JOHN LEWIS ACT AND
THE HOUSE IS STARTING HEARINGS
RIGHT AWAY THIS FALL TO GET THE
DATA WE NEED TO PUT FORWARD AN
EXPANSION OF THE VOTING RIGHTS
ACT AFTER THE SUPREME COURT SHOT
IT DOWN IN THE SHELBY DECISION,
MAJOR PIECES OF IT.
YOU COULD ALSO ADD TO THAT BILL.
THEN WE HAVE RIGHT IN FRONT OF
US THE TWO INFRASTRUCTURE
PACKAGES.
IM NOT TALKING ABOUT THE
BIPARTISAN ONE.
IM GLAD THATS CONTINUING TO
PROCEED.
BUT THIS IS THE ONE THAT WILL
INCLUDE HOUSING AND CHILD CARE.
YOU CAN INCLUDE ELECTION
INFRASTRUCTURE, RACHEL.
AND YOU CAN TIE INCENTIVES FOR
VOTING WITH THAT PACKAGE.
AND THEN FINALLY, WE HAVE THE
JUSTICE DEPARTMENT.
YOU KNOW, WITH VINTA GUPTA THIS
IS NOT BILL BARRS JUSTICE
DEPARTMENT ANYMORE.
AND THERE IS A BIG FOCUS ON
GOING AFTER THESE EGREGIOUS
DISCRIMINATORY LAWS.
>> THE TYPE OF ELECTION
INFRASTRUCTURE YOU WERE JUST
DESCRIBING THERE THAT COULD
POTENTIALLY BE PUT IN THE
INFRASTRUCTURE BILL BUT AGAIN
CAN PASS THROUGH RECONCILIATION,
CAN PASS WITH 50 DEMOCRATIC
VOTES EVEN IF REPUBLICANS DECIDE
NOT TO SUPPORT IT, IS THERE
AGREEMENT AMONG DEMOCRATS ABOUT
INCLUDING ELECTION
INFRASTRUCTURE AS YOU DESCRIBE
IT IN THAT BILL?
>> I DONT THINK YOURE GOING TO
SEE OPPOSITION.
REMEMBER, SENATOR MANCHIN AND I
HAVE BEEN WORKING ON THE PRODUCT
AND ITS NOT FINISHED YET.
BUT WE HAD A LOT OF PROVISIONS
IN THERE FOR BASIC FEDERAL
VOTING RIGHTS.
THIS IS ONE THAT STACEY ABRAMS,
BARACK OBAMA WERE SUPPORTIVE OF,
AND IT DIDNT HAVE EVERYTHING IN
FOR THE PEOPLE BUT IT DID HAVE
SOME REALLY GOOD PROVISIONS.
SO IF YOURE FOR THAT YOUVE GOT
TO BE FOR ELECTION
INFRASTRUCTURE AND YOU COULD TIE
SOME INCENTIVES TO THAT ELECTION
INFRASTRUCTURE.
SO IM NOT AS CONCERNED ABOUT
THAT AS I AM ABOUT THE
LIMITATIONS WE HAVE WITH
RECONCILIATION
RECONCILIATION, AS I AM ABOUT
OUR COLLEAGUES.
I THINK THEYRE GOING TO BE GOOD