>>> WHAT’S THE INTEREST OF THE
ARIZONA RNC HERE IN KEEPING THE,
SAY, OTHER PRECINCTS VOTER --
BALLOT DISQUALIFICATION ROLES ON
THE BOOKS?
>> IT PUTS US AT A COMPETITIVE
DISADVANTAGE TO DEMOCRATS.
POLITICS IS A ZERO SUM GAME.
EVERY EXTRA VOTE THEY GET
THROUGH UNLAWFUL INTERPRETATION
HURTS US.
IT’S THE DIFFERENCE OF WINNING
AN ELECTION --
>> THANK YOU, MY TIME IS UP.
>> THAT WAS A LAWYER FOR THE
ARIZONA REPUBLICAN PARTY ON
TUESDAY ARGUING BEFORE THE
SUPREME COURT ESSENTIALLY
ADMITTING TO THE REASON BEHIND
REPUBLICAN LEGISLATORS VARIOUS
EFFORTS TO MAKE IT MORE
DIFFICULT TO VOTE.
THE COURT IS HEARING ARGUMENTS
OVER ARIZONA VOTING RESTRICTIONS
WHICH MAKE IT A CRIME FOR ANYONE
OTHER THAN A FAMILY MEMBER OR
CAREGIVER TO TURN IN ANOTHER
PERSON’S EARLY BALLOT.
ANOTHER THAT REQUIRES ANY BALLOT
CAST IN THE WRONG PRECINCT TO BE
DISCARDED, EVEN IF THE PERSON
WAS ELIGIBLE TO VOTE.
OVER IN GEORGIA, REPUBLICAN
LAWMAKERS ARE PUSHING A NEW LAW
THAT WOULD REQUIRE A PHOTO I.D.
FOR ABSENTEE VOTING, LIMIT THE
AMOUNT OF TIME VOTERS HAVE TO
REQUEST AN ABSENTEE BALLOT,
RESTRICT WHERE BALLOT DROPBOXES
COULD BE LOCATED AND WHEN THEY
COULD BE ACCESSED AND LIMIT
VOTING HOURS ON WEEKENDS.
AND SO AS WE’VE MENTIONED LATE
LAST NIGHT THE HOUSE PASSED A
MEASURE THAT AIMS TO COMBAT SUCH
RESTRICTIONS BEFORE THE PEOPLE
ACT AIMED AT CHANGING FINANCE
VOTING AND ETHICS LAWS.
JOINING US NOW IS A MEMBER OF
THE HOUSE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE,
DEMOCRATIC CONGRESSMAN MONDAIRE
JONES OF NEW YORK.
ALSO WITH US, THE PRESIDENT AND
CEO OF THE NATIONAL URBAN
LEAGUE, THE FORMER MAYOR OF NEW
ORLEANS, MARC MORIAL.
>> GOOD MORNING.
>> CONGRESSMAN, HOW IMPORTANT IS
THIS LEGISLATION THAT
ESSENTIALLY SHOULD BE HEADED TO
THE SENATE AT THAT POINT?
>> THIS IS ASIS OF FOUNDATIONAL
IMPORTANCE.
WE ARE, AS YOU JUST DESCRIBED,
WE ARE EXPERIENCING IN MANY
PARTS OF THIS COUNTRY A NEW JIM
CROW WHERE THE MODERN DAY
REPUBLICAN PARTY HAS AS ITS
PROJECT, NOT COMPETING ON THE
MERITS OF ITS POLICY IDEAS BUT
THE DISENFRANCHISEMENT OF LARGE
SWABS OF THE AMERICAN ELECTORATE
LIKE BLACK AND LATINO VOTERS IN
GEORGIA AND ELECTION.
SO THE WE THE PEOPLES ACT IS
AIMED AT PREVENTING THE RIGHT TO
VOTE FROM BEING SUPPRESSED.
IT CONTAINS AUTOMATIC VOTER
REGISTRATION, RESTRICTIONS ON
VOTER PURGES, PUBLIC CAMPAIGN
FINANCING SO WE GET BETTER
PEOPLE ELECTED TO CONGRESS WHO
DON’T DEBATE THE NEED FOR $2,000
SURVIVAL CHECKS IN THE MIDST OF
THE WORST ECONOMIC CRISIS SINCE
THE GREAT DEPRESSION AND
REDISTRICTING
REDISTRICTING LAWS.
>> MAYOR MORIAL, WE HEARD THE
OBJECTION EXPLICITLY IN THAT
CLIP WITH SUPREME COURT JUSTICE
BARRETT WHEN THE ATTORNEY SAID
WE DON’T WANT HR-1 TO GO THROUGH
BECAUSE IT MEANS WE WILL LOSE
MORE ELECTIONS.
IT’S A POLITICAL QUESTION AND
QUESTIONS OF POLITICAL SPEECH
EMBEDDED IN THE CRITICISM.
FROM YOUR POSITION, WHY IS HR-1
BENEFICIAL TO THE COUNTRY?
>> THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.
WE’RE SEEING A MOVEMENT, I CALL
IT THE MOVEMENT OF JIMMY AND
JANE CROW.
THE GRANDSON AND GRANDDAUGHTER
OF JIM CROW.
THAT’S A MASSIVE MOVEMENT, IF
YOU WILL, TO PLACE VOTER
SUPPRESSION ON STEROIDS AT THE
STATE LEVEL.
LET’S LOOK AT IT POLITICALLY.
THE REPUBLICAN PARTY HAS NOT WON
THE POPULAR VOTE SINCE 1988.
THIS IS NAKEDLY POLITICAL.
IT’S DESIGNED TO SUPPRESS THE
VOTES OF VOTERS WHO ARE YOUNG,
VOTERS WHO ARE BLACK, VOTERS WHO
ARE BROWN, AND EVEN OLDER
VOTERS.
IT IS A PALATABLE, WELL THOUGHT
OUT AND ORCHESTRATED MOVEMENT.
THE ADMISSION BY THE LAWYER
BEFORE THE SUPREME COURT, IF
THAT DOESN’T TELL THE SUPREME
COURT THAT ARIZONA’S POSITION IS
BASED ON POLITICS, POLITICS,
POLITICS, NOT ONLY THE LAW, NOT
ON THE CONSTITUTION, NOT ON
COMMON SENSE, NOT ON FAIRNESS,
NOT ON PROTECTING THE RIGHT TO
VOTE, I DON’T KNOW WHAT IT
TAKES.
SO HR-1 IS A POWERFUL STEP IN
THE RIGHT DIRECTION.
WE ALSO NEED HR-4, WHICH IS AN
ADVANCED VERSION OF THE VOTING
RIGHTS ACT OF 1965 BECAUSE
WHAT’S ON THE LINE IS
FUNDAMENTAL DEMOCRACY.
THIS IS ALL ABOUT THE RIGHT TO
VOTE.
ENSURING THAT WE’RE NOT CREATING
AN APARTHEID-LIKE SYSTEM IN THE
UNITED STATES WHERE ONLY SOME
PEOPLE CAN VOTE AND IT’S SO
DIFFICULT FOR OTHERS TO VOTE.
THIS IS ANTI-DEMOCRATIC.
IT IS A MOVE THAT HAS TO BE
SWIFTLY REJECTED AND IT HAS TO
BE AGGRESSIVELY COMBATED.
>> CONGRESSMAN, THE OTHER PIECE
OF LEGISLATION PASSED, THE
GEORGE FLOYD JUSTICE AND
POLICING ACT.
TELL US ABOUT IT.
>> THIS, TOO, IS AN IMPORTANT
PIECE OF LEGISLATION THAT THE
SENATE MUST PASS AS WELL.
WE SAW THE GREATEST CIVIL RIGHTS
MOVEMENT SINCE THE OTHER CIVIL
RIGHTS MOVEMENT THAT PRECEDED IT
HAPPEN LAST SUMMER IN THE WAKE
OF THE MURDERS OF GEORGE FLOYD
AND BREONNA TAYLOR AND SO MANY
NAMES.
SO WE WANT THE ROOTING OUT OF
SYSTEMIC RACISM IN POLICING
THROUGH A BAN ON CHOKEHOLDS AND
NO-KNOCK WARRANTS.
A REPEAL OF QUALIFIED IMMUNITY
IN THE CONTEXT OF LAW AND
ENFORCEMENT.
THE TRAINING BY THESE OFFICERS
WHO SHOULD NOT BE RESPONDING TO
MENTAL HEALTH CRISES.
IT’S NO WONDER SO MANY OF THOSE
SITUATIONS HAVE ESCALATED WHERE
OFFICERS HAVE NOT BEEN TRAINED
TO RESPOND TO THE SITUATION
BECAUSE THEY LACK THE EXPERTISE.
NO ONE IS SAYING ALL LAW
ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS ARE BAD.
NO ONE IS SAYING MOST LAW
ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS ARE BAD,
BUT I THINK THE AMERICAN PEOPLE
AT LARGE UNDERSTAND THAT THERE’S
A REAL SERIOUS ISSUE OF RACISM
IN POLICING IN THIS COUNTRY.
IT IS UNFORTUNATE THAT WE DID
NOT GET REPUBLICANS TO VOTE FOR
THIS.
IT’S NOT FOR LACK OF TRYING OR
FOR LACK OF ENGAGING IN GOOD
FAITH.
IT’S BECAUSE WE HAD THE