>>> THIS IS BIGGER THAN ANY
PARTISAN DISCUSSION.
THIS IS ABOUT THE INTEGRITY AND
THE STRENGTH AND EQUITY OF OUR
DEMOCRACY.
THATS WHATS UNDER ASSAULT.
WE SAW A VIOLENT ASSAULT ON THE
UNITED STATES CAPITOL, AND WE
SAW THAT THEN METASTASIZE IN
VOTER SUPPRESSION BILLS ACROSS
THE COUNTRY.
WE HAVE TO STAND UP.
ITS THE MOMENT.
ITS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF
CONGRESS TO PROVIDE BASELINE
FEDERAL STANDARDS FOR VOTING.
AND I INTEND TO DO MY JOB.
>> DEMOCRATIC SENATOR RAFAEL
WARNOCK OF GEORGIA WHOS LEADING
THE DEMOCRATS EFFORTS TO BRING
IT BEFORE THE SENATE BEFORE
RECESS.
THERES ALSO A RENEWED PUSH
WHERE DEMOCRATS ELECTED IN 2018
SENT A LETTER TO HOUSE SPEAKER
NANCY PELOSI AND SENATE MAJORITY
LEADER CHUCK SCHUMER CALLING FOR
A NEW TAILORED VERSION OF A
VOTING BILL TO FOCUS ON
REINSTATING PROTECTIONS UNDER
THE VOTING RIGHTS ACT, WHILE
ELIMINATING PROPOSALS NOT
DIRECTLY RELATED TO BALLOT
ACCESS.
AND THE MEMBERS OF CONGRESS
BEHIND THIS PUSH JOIN US NOW.
REPRESENTATIVE ALYSSA SLOTKIN OF
MICHIGAN, VERONICA ESCOBAR OF
TEXAS AND COLLIN ALLRED ALSO
FROM TEXAS AND WITH US FOR THIS
CONVERSATION IS AUTHOR AND POET
CAROLINE RANDALL WILLIAMS.
GOOD TO HAVE YOU ALL ON BOARD.
ALYSSA SLOTKIN ILL START WITH
YOU.
WHAT IS IT YOU WOULD LIKE TO BE
INCLUDED IN THE VOTING RIGHTS
ACT TO SECURE VOTING FOR ALL
AMERICANS.
>> WE CAME TOGETHER AS A GROUP
OF FRESHMEN HAD 2018 WHO CAME IN
ON AN AGENDA OF REFORM TO SAY
THE MOST FOUNDATIONAL THING WE
CAN DO IS VOTING RIGHTS AND ITS
TIME TO GET SERIOUS TO PUSH AND
CREATE THAT MOMENTUM AND SAY TO
OUR LEADERSHIP THAT WERE
WILLING TO COME BACK IN AUGUST,
WHENEVER THEY CALL US BACK
BECAUSE ITS SO FUNDAMENTAL.
THAT WAS THE POINT.
AND, YOU KNOW, WERE OPEN, OF
COURSE, WE SUPPORT ALL THE
IDEALS THAT WERE IN THE ORIGINAL
HR 1 BUT VOTING RIGHTS IS
ESSENTIAL AND WE NEED TO START
THERE.
>> CONGRESSWOMAN, ESCOBAR,
THERES OBVIOUSLY BEEN A LOT OF
TALK ABOUT HR-1, HR-4 AND THE
NEED TO MAKE CHANGES TO HR-1.
HAVE YOU SEEN THE CHANGES THAT
JOE MANCHIN HAS MADE?
ARE THOSE THE SORT OF CHANGES
THAT YOU ALL ARE LOOKING AT
ADOPTING AS WELL?
>> GOOD MORNING, THANKS SO MUCH
FOR HAVING US ON.
WE HAVE NOT YET SEEN THE DETAILS
FROM THE SENATE.
WE KNOW THE GENERAL FRAMEWORK
BUT WE ALSO KNOW MORE
IMPORTANTLY WHERE THE THREATS
ARE AND WHERE THEYRE COMING
FROM.
IN A STATE LIKE MY, TEXAS, WE
ARE GOING TO LOSE OUR DEMOCRACY
LITERALLY THROUGH TEXAS UNLESS
WE DO SOMETHING.
IN ABOUT A WEEK, THE TEXAS HOUSE
DEMOCRATS THAT BROKE QUORUM IN
THEIR STATE LEGISLATURE AND CAME
HERE TO WASHINGTON D.C. TO URGE
US TO TAKE ACTION, THEY ARE
GOING TO HAVE TO MAKE A
DECISION, THE SPECIAL SESSION
ENDS FOR THEM AND WHEN THEY FLY
BACK OR IF THEY FLY BACK, A NEW
ONE WILL BEGIN.
THERE WILL BE EXTREME
GERRYMANDERING.
THERE WILL BE LIMITED ACCESS TO
THE BALLOT BOX FOR THE DISABLED,
FOR PEOPLE OF COLOR.
AND THEN IN ABOUT TWO WEEKS,
THATS WHEN THE EXTREME
GERRYMANDERING BEGINS.
SO TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE.
THE CLOCK IS RUNNING OUT.
AND WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE A BILL
AND WORK ON A BILL AND PASS A
BILL IN AUGUST THAT ADDRESSES
WHATS HAPPENING IN TEXAS AND
OTHER STATES THAT WILL
DISENFRANCHISE MILLIONS OF
PEOPLE.
>> CONGRESSMAN -- SUSAN DEL
PERCIO.
>> WHY NOT REINTRODUCE HR-4
INSTEAD OF TRYING TO REVISE HR-1
WHICH HAS SO MANY EXTRAS, IF YOU
WILL, AND KEEP IT TO THE VOTING
RIGHTS ACT, I THINK A VERY
STRIPPED DOWN PIECE OF
LEGISLATION COULD HAVE A BETTER
CHANCE OF SUCCESS.
SO IM JUST CURIOUS ABOUT THE
DECISION THERE.
>> WE WANT TO DO BOTH.
WE THINK THAT HR-4 IS EXTREMELY
IMPORTANT.
I WAS A VOTING RIGHTS LITIGATOR,
LITIGATED UNDER THE VOTING
RIGHTS ACT.
I WANT TO RESTORE THE VOTING
RIGHTS ACT.
YOULL SEE HR-4 MOVING QUICKLY
IN THE MONTH OF AUGUST BUT WE
ALSO RECOGNIZE THIS IS A
TWO-PRONG STRATEGY. WE NEED A SWORD IN TERMS OF THE
WE NEED A SWORD IN TERMS OF THE
NATIONAL STANDARDS THAT SENATOR
MANCHIN SAID HE COULD SUPPORT
BUT ALSO THE SHIELD OF HR-4
WHICH WOULD PROTECT US AGAINST
THE DISCRIMINATORY LAWS THAT
THEYVE BEEN PASSING AND GIVING
US CLEARANCE PARTICULARLY FOR
LATE CHANGES TO ELECTION LAWS
WHETHER OR NOT THESE ARE ROLLED
INTO ONE BILL EVENTUALLY I THINK
IS A BILL A DISCUSSION FURTHER
ALONG THE LINE.
BUT WERE GOING TO DO BOTH AND I
THINK WE SHOULD.
I DONT THINK THEYRE MUTUALLY
EXCLUSIVE.
>> GEORGIA REPUBLICANS HAVE
REPORTEDLY GUN THEBEGUN THE PROC
REPLACING ONE OF THE STATES TOP
ELECTION OFFICIALS.
TWO DOZEN STATE SENATORS
REPORTEDLY SIGNED OFF ON A
PERFORMANCE REVIEW OF FULTON
COUNTYS ELECTION CHIEF RICHARD
BARREN, FULTON COUNTY PLAYED A
KEY ROLE IN JOE BIDEN WINNING IN
NOVEMBER.
UNDER STATE LAW, THEY CAN
REPLACE OFFICIALS FOLLOWING A
PERFORMANCE REVIEW.
IN THEIR PLACE A TEMPORARY
SUPERINTENDENT WOULD FULL
AUTHORITY.
DEMOCRATS WARN THE ATTEMPT IS A
SCHEME TO SUPPRESS THE VOTE IN
GEORGIA.
REPUBLICANS CLAIMED REPEATED AND
SYSTEMIC PROCESS FAILURES
DESPITE THOSE CLAIMS MULTIPLE
RECOUNTS HAVE DISCREDITED ANY
ALLEGATIONS OF VOTER FRAUD IN
THE STATE.
>> SO CAROLYN, THERE ARE REALLY
TWO SORT OF BASKETS OF THREATS
TO DEMOCRACY.
ONE IS MAKING IT MORE DIFFICULT
FOR PEOPLE TO VOTE, ESPECIALLY
PEOPLE OF COLOR.
AND THATS THE BEGINNING OF THE
PROCESS.
I THINK, ACTUALLY, EVEN FAR MORE
DANGEROUS THAN THAT ARE THESE
TYPES OF PIECES OF LEGISLATION,
THESE PROPOSALS WHERE EVEN AFTER
THE VOTE YOU HAVE
LEGISLATURES -- REPUBLICAN
LEGISLATURES THAT SAY, YOU KNOW
WHAT, WERE GOING TO JUST TAKE
OVER THE COUNTING OF THE VOTING
IN GEORGIA, TEXAS, ARIZONA,
MAYBE UP IN MICHIGAN, AND ALL OF
THESE SWING STATES REPUBLICANS
WANT TO TAKE OVER, FIRE ELECTION
OFFICIALS, AND THEN DETERMINE
WHO GETS THE ELECTORAL VOTES
FROM THOSE STATES.
>> RIGHT.
AND ITS SORT OF THIS RADICAL
ACT OF ERASER THAT IS A MARKED
REGRESSION THAT IS REMINISCENT
OF, TO ME, JIM CROW.
IM NOT REMOTELY THE FIRST
PERSON TO BE TALKING ABOUT THIS.
BUT I THINK THAT WE SHOULD ALL
BE FRIGHTENED BY THAT.
BECAUSE ITS AN ACTIVE STEP BACK
FROM OUR ACCESS TO DEMOCRACY,
OUR ACCESS TO THE TOOLS OF
SUFFRAGE THAT ALLOW US TO MOVE
AMERICA IN THE DIRECTION THAT IS
THE WILL OF THE PEOPLE.
FOR EXAMPLE, THE OUTCOME OF THE
2020 ELECTION, AND I THINK THAT
THIS RESISTANCE TO HELPING AND
ALLOWING AMERICA TO ENACT THE
LAWS THAT ARE THE WILL OF ITS
PEOPLE, IS THE DANGER INHERENT
IN THOSE KIND OF CHOICES IS SO
STARK.
AND I THINK THAT -- YOU KNOW,
IM THINKING ABOUT WHAT HAPPENS
IF THESE BILLS DONT PASS.
AND I THINK THAT MAYBE WERE
JUST FACING A MOMENT WHEN ITS
TIME TO START MARCHING ACROSS
BRIDGES AGAIN.
AND I THINK THAT WERE FACING A
MOMENT WHEN WERE LOOKING AT A
COUNTRY THAT DOESNT WANT THE
WILL OF THE PEOPLE TO MANIFEST
ITSELF.
WHERE THE LEADERSHIP IS NOT
ENABLING THE WILL OF THE PEOPLE
TO MANIFEST ITSELF.
AND I THINK WE HAVE TO PICK UP
OUR SWORD AND OUR SHIELD, AND
FIGURE OUT WHAT WERE GOING TO
DO NEXT.
BECAUSE I THINK THERES SOME
MACHINERY THATS BEEN ACTIVATED
THATS GOING TO REQUIRE OTHER
KINDS OF ACTIVISM TO NAVIGATE.
>> ITS BEEN WELL DEFINED JUST
NOW THE THREATS TO DEMOCRACY,
THE THREATS TO THE BALLOT, WE
HEARD FROM PRESIDENT BIDEN, A
WEEK OR SO AGO, I WAS THERE WHEN
HE GAVE A FIERY SPEECH IN
PHILADELPHIA SAYING THIS WAS THE
GREATEST THREAT THE NATION HAS
FACED SINCE THE CIVIL WAR.
AND WE KNOW THAT HE HAS A NUMBER
OF MEETINGS WITH LAWMAKERS,
CIVIL RIGHTS LEADERS ALL FOCUSED
ON THE SAME THING, IT HAS TO BE
A LEGISLATIVE SOLUTION AND THE
FILIBUSTER HAS TO GO.
COULD PRESIDENT BIDEN BE DOING
MORE?
>> I THINK, LISTEN, OUR LETTER
AND THE POINT OF OUR LETTER WAS
TO CREATE REAL MOMENTUM AND SAY
WE GET IT, THERES A TON OF
PRIORITIES, WERE ALL WORKING ON
INFRASTRUCTURE, WERE ALL CARING
ABOUT THE THINGS THAT MEAN A LOT
TO OUR DISTRICTS BUT FOUNDATION
IS VOTING RIGHTS.
THERE IS NO MORE IMPORTANT THING
THAT MAKING SURE PEOPLE HAVE
FREE AND EASY ACCESS TO THE
BALLOT BOX.
I THINK ITS TO ADD A LITTLE BIT
AND SAY THAT LAWMAKERS ARE READY
TO COME BACK AND DO THIS.
I THINK IT IS ALSO PUSHING FOR A
CLEAR STRATEGY.
I FEEL LIKE PEOPLE ARE ASKING ME
ALL THE TIME, WHAT IS THE PLAN?
WERE WATCHING THIS HAPPEN IN
SLOW MOTION AND I DONT WANT A
YEAR FROM NOW FOR US TO BE
SAYING WHAT MORE COULD WE DO?
WE NEED THE SWORD AND THE
SHIELD, FEDERAL LEGISLATION AND
WE NEED ORGANIZATION ON THE
GROUND.
WE WATCHED IN GEORGIA WHAT VOTER
REGISTRATION AND EDUCATION DID.
ITS A COMBINATION OF WHAT WE DO
AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL AND WHAT
PEOPLE CAN DO ON THE GROUND.
WE NEED BOTH IN ORDER TO DO WHAT
WE NEED TO DO THIS YEAR.
>> VICTORIA, SAME QUESTION TO
YOU.
WHAT SHOULD JOE BIDEN DO, THE
BIDEN ADMINISTRATION DO?
ARE THEY TAKING ALL THE STEPS
THAT NEED TO BE TAKEN RIGHT NOW?
>> I THINK THAT THE VOICE OF THE
PRESIDENT, THE VICE PRESIDENT,
AND ALL OF THE RESOURCES
AVAILABLE TO THE WHITE HOUSE
COULD REALLY HELP CONTINUE TO
BUILD THAT MOMENTUM BUT ALSO
HELP GET US ACROSS THE GOAL
LINE.
I KNOW THAT JOE MANCHIN CARES
ABOUT VOTING RIGHTS.
HE HAS TALKED ABOUT IT.
AND SO NOW IS THE TIME TO ACT
WITH URGENCY AND TO REALIZE THAT
WE ARE ABOUT TO GO OFF A CLIFF
THAT WILL BE VERY HARD TO COME
BACK FROM.
AND AS ELISSA MENTIONED WE
CANNOT WATCH OUR DEMOCRACY BE
TAKEN FROM US.
AND THE VOICES OF SOME OF THE
MOST VULNERABLE, PEOPLE OF