STATES TO CONGRESS.
>> WE THINK THIS BILL IS ROTTEN
TO THE CORE.
IT IS WRITTEN IN HELL BY THE
DEVIL ITSELF.
>> GEORGIA IS GROUND ZERO AND
JOINING ME NOW IS STACEY ABRAMS,
A GROUP THAT PROMOTES VOTING
RIGHTS AND GEOFF DUNCAN.
WELCOME TO BOTH OF YOU.
I WANT TO BEGIN WITH MISS
ABRAMS.
I WANT TO START WITH THE ISSUE
WITH HR-1.
THE HOUSE PASSED THIS BILL.
IT IS NOT GOING TO OVERCOME THE
SENATE’S FILIBUSTER.
DO YOU THINK DEMOCRATS SHOULD
PAY DOWN HR-1 OR IS THE FOCUS
SHOULD BE ON ELIMINATING THE
FILIBUSTER?
>> THE FOCUS IS ON PROTECTING
DEMOCRACY.
WE KNOW JANUARY 6th WAS THE
OPENING IN AN ATTEMPT TO ROLL US
BACK TO THE JIM CROW’S ERA.
WE KNOW THAT THE U.S. SENATE
MUCH LIKE THE U.S. HOUSE HAS THE
SOLE RESPONSIBILITY UNDER THE
U.S. CONSTITUTION TO REGULATE
THE TIME, PLACE AND MANNER OF
ELECTIONS.
THAT’S SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE TO
ACCOMPLISH.
IT WOULD BE BEST IF IT WAS DONE
IN CONCERT WITH REPUBLICANS AS
WE HAVE IN TIMES PAST WHEN WE
HAD TO CONFRONT DEMONS AND DO
BETTER FOR OUR PEOPLE.
FOR THE PURPOSE OF PROTECTING
OUR DEMOCRACY, IT IS NOT ONLY
LOGICAL BUT FUNDAMENTAL TO WHO
WE ARE.
>> HAVE YOU TALKED TO JOE
MANCHIN ABOUT THIS PARTICULAR
ANGLE OF SUSPENDING THE
FILIBUSTER?
>> I HAVE NOT.
I BELIEVE THESE CONVERSATIONS
ARE ONGOING AMONG THE NUMBER OF
SENATORS.
I ALSO UNDERSTAND THERE WERE
TIMES WHERE WE HAD TO LOOK AT
THE FUNDAMENTALS OF OUR
PROCESSES AND DO WHAT WAS RIGHT.
WE KNOW THE SENATE HAS DONE SO
TO SUSPEND THE FILIBUSTER FOR
THE PURPOSES OF JUDICIAL
APPOINTMENTS AND RECONCILIATION.
I WOULD SAY PROTECTION OF OUR
DEMOCRACY WHICH WE HAVE SEEN
DEBATED THROUGH THE JANUARY 6th
INSURRECTION COUNTS AND WHEN YOU
LOOK AT THE 253 BILLS MOVING
THROUGH STATE LEGISLATURES,
SADLY 50 OF THEM THROUGH GEORGIA
ITSELF, WE KNOW NOW IS A TIME
FOR CONGRESS TO TAKE UP THE ROLE
IT ALONE HAS WHICH IS TO
REGULATE THE TIME AND PLACE AND
MANNER AN ELECTION.
>> A POST FROM JENNIFER RUBIN.
SHE WRITES "THE LEGISLATION’S
ONLY HOPE AND IS A SLIM ONE,
RESTS WITH DEMOCRATS’ WILLING
NECESSARY TO PARE DOWN THE
MEASURE."
>> I KNOW YOU DID NOT ANSWER MY QUESTION BY HR-1 ABOUT THE
QUESTION BY HR-1 ABOUT THE
DECISIONS SHOULD BE PARE DOWN.
WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THAT
SOLUTION?
DO YOU THINK DEMOCRATS SHOULD BE
THINKING ABOUT A PARE DOWN
VERSION OF THIS BILL?
>> I BELIEVE DEMOCRATS SHOULD DO
THEIR LEVEL BEST TO PASS LAWS TO
PROTECT OUR DEMOCRACY.
I AM NOT BEING EVASIVE, I AM
TELLING YOU THAT WE HAVE TO PAY
ATTENTION TO THE WHOLE OF OUR
DEMOCRACY AND DEFEND AND PROTECT
IT.
THAT MEANS DOING THE WORK
NECESSARY TO ENSURE EVERY
AMERICAN WHO’S ELIGIBLE TO VOTE
TO DO SO.
I HAVE SERVED IN A LEGISLATIVE
BODY WHERE EVERYTHING IS UP FOR
GRABS AND EVERYTHING IS ON THE
TABLE.
I AM NOT
WE HAVE AN A-PRIORITY ISSUE.
THE SENATE HAS TO BELIEVE IT HAS
THE RESPONSIBILITY AND THE
ABILITY TO ACT.
THE
SO WE CAN GET SOMETHING DONE TO
PROTECT OUR DEMOCRACY.
>> IF THAT DOES NOT HAPPEN, WHAT
IS YOUR NEXT HOPE OF TRYING TO
PREVENT SOME OF THESE RADICAL
CHANGES THAT’S BEING PROPOSED
AROUND THE COUNTRY.
>> I AM NOT GOING TO GIVE UP
HOPE THAT SOMETHING WILL HAPPEN.
FAIR FIGHT WAS BORN AT A TIME
WHEN WE KNEW NOTHING WAS HAPPENING AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL
HAPPENING AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL
AND IN PART OF RAISING AWARENESS
AMONGST VOTERS.
THESE BILLS ARE TRYING TO SOLVE
A PROBLEM THEY HAVE YET TO
IDENTIFY.
THE GOVERNOR SPENT GREAT AMOUNTS
OF TIME AND THEIR POLITICAL
REPUTATION DEFENDING THE
INTEGRITY OF OUR ELECTIONS.
THESE BILLS ARE NOTHING BUT THE
PRETEXT FROM RETURNING TO JIM
CROW.
VOTERS ACROSS THE COUNTRY WHEN
THEY SEE THEIR RIGHTS TO VOTE IS
BEING FORWARDED WILL DO WHAT
THEY CAN TO PUSH BACK.
THEY SHOULD NOT HAVE TO FIGHT ON
THEIR OWN.
THAT’S WHY WE ELECTED CONGRESS
AND HAVE A CONSTITUTION AND
THAT’S WHY CONGRESS SHOULD BE
HELD TO ACCOUNT FOR DEFENDING
OUR DEMOCRACY.
>> IF THESE PROPOSALS IS SIGNED
THROUGH THE LAW BY THE GOVERNOR,
IF THESE RESTRICTIONS WERE PUT IN PLACE WITH 2020 OF DEMOCRATS
IN PLACE WITH 2020 OF DEMOCRATS
CARRYING GEORGIA AND EITHER OF
THE RACES?
>> WE WERE ABLE TO MITIGATE THAT
HARM IN 2020 AND WE’LL CONTINUE
TO FIGHT.
THE REALITY IS VOTERS WHEN THEY
SEE PEOPLE ARE ATTACKING THEIR
RIGHTS TO VOTE, WE RESPOND AND
WE RESPOND WITH A FURRY THAT’S
BORN OF URGENCY, WE WOULD NOT
HAVE THE AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN
THAT’S GOING TO LET 171,000
CHILDREN IN GEORGIA OUT OF
POVERTY.
WE’LL SERVE MILLIONS OF
AMERICANS AND LIFT THEM OUT OF
POVERTY.
THAT’S SOMETHING WOULD NOT
HAPPEN BUT FOR THE RIGHT TO
VOTE.
I REFUSE TO COUNT ANYTHING BUT
TO THE DEEPEST OF COMMITMENT TO
DEFEND OUR DEMOCRACY AND THE
WORK THAT OTHER ORGANIZATIONS
ARE DOING.
>> THIS IS A NATIONAL FIGHT FOR
YOU.
I AM CURIOUS, ARE YOU STILL RUN
THINKING ABOUT RUNNING FOR
GOVERNOR IN 2022?
>> WE HAVE TO DEFEND OUR
DEMOCRACY GNS ALLAGAINST ALL ENE
AND PERMEATEING AND FIGHTING HAR
TO RESTRICT ACCESS OF THE RIGHT
TO VOTE AND MAKING SURE PEOPLE
OF COLOR AND YOUNG PEOPLE CAN
PARTICIPATE FULLY IN OUR
DEMOCRACY WHICH IS THE LEAST
PATRIOTIC THING I CAN IMAGINE.
>> IF WE DO HAVE AN ELECTION IN
2022?
>> THEN I WILL BE DOING MY BEST
TO MAKE SURE THEY ARE FAIR AND
AVAILABLE.
.
>> WILL YOU BE ON THE BALLOT?
I AM FOCUSING ON OUR DEMOCRACY
AND I WILL MAKE OTHER DECISIONS