BOTH MET WITH SENATORS
BLUMENTHAL AND SENATOR WARREN
TODAY.
WE JUST HEARD JOE MANCHIN.
HE WAS JUST ASKED SOMETHING VERY
SPECIAL.
CAN YOU SUPPORT A CARVE YAO IN
THE FILIBUSTER FOR VOTING
RIGHTS?
AND HE DID NOT SAY NO WHICH IS
VERY IMPORTANT WHEN YOURE
LISTENING TO EVERY WORD HE HAS
TO SAY.
HE ALSO DIDNT SAY YES.
IT WILL BE YOUR JOB TO CONVINCE
HIM TO DO THAT.
SOME IN YOUR GROUP HAVE A
MEETING WITH SENATOR MANCHIN.
WILL THAT BE THE MOST IMPORTANT
MEETING YOU HAVE THIS WEEK?
>> ABSOLUTELY.
ITS DEFINITELY OUR TOP
PRIORITY.
IM VERY ENCOURAGED TO HEAR
THAT.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FIRST OF ALL
FOR HAVING ME.
I WOULD SAY THIS.
HES RIGHT.
WE NEED SUPPORT ON ALL SIDES.
WHAT WERE URGING FROM SENATOR
MANCHIN IS TO TAKE A STAND AND
REALLY, REALLY UNDERSTAND WHAT
IS HAPPENING IN TEXAS.
LETS BE CLEAR.
THE BILLS THAT WE ARE FACING
RIGHT NOW IN TEXAS, THEYRE THE
GREATEST FORM OF VOTER
SUPPRESSION WEVE SEEN IN
DECADES.
THE REASON WERE CALLING THIS,
MY GRANDMOTHER WAS BORN IN 1917.
AND SHE TOLD ME STORIES GROWING
UP ABOUT HOW SHE HAD TO TAKE
LITERACY TESTS TO VOTE IN
CONROE, TEXAS.
HOW SHE WAS NOT ALLOWED TO STAND
NEXT ON WHITE PEOPLE IN LINE.
SHE WAS INTIMIDATED BY THAT.
THIS IS WHAT WERE LOOKING AT
NOW.
WHEN YOU TELL A PERSON WITH A
DISABILITY THAT YOU WONT ALLOW
MOBILE VOTING.
WHEN YOU TELL SWUM WHO, TWO
GRAVEYARD SHIFT THAT THEY CANT
VOTE AFTER HOURS, THATS JIM
CROWE 2.0.
SO THAT IS WHAT WERE ASKING
SENATOR MANCHIN TO TAKE A STAND
AND TO COME IN AND INTERVENE, TO
STOP WHAT WE ARE DEALING WITH IN
TEXAS.
THIS IS WHAT WE ARE FACING.
>> REPRESENTATIVE CROCKETT,
SENATOR ELIZABETH WARREN GREW UP
IN THE NEIGHBORING STATE OF
OKLAHOMA.
SHE WORKED IN TEXAS FOR SEVERAL
YEARS HERSELF.
SHE HAS HER OWN TEXAS
EXPERIENCE, I GUESS.
IM SURE THAT ALL THE SENATORS
YOURE MEETING WITH ARE PICKING
UP NEW INFORMATION IN THESE
MEETINGS.
WHAT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING
THAT YOU CAN TELL IS LANDING
WITH THESE SENATORS?
>> YOU KNOW, FIRST OF ALL, THANK
YOU FOR HAVING US.
AND COVERING THIS VERY IMPORTANT
ISSUE.
THE MOST IMPORTANT THING THAT I
THINK MOST OF THEM DIDNT
REALIZE WAS ABOUT THE PARTISAN
POLL WATCHERS.
WE HAVE PROVISIONS IN THIS BILL
THAT REALLY EMBOLDEN AND HE WILL
POWER THESE PARTISAN POLL
WATCHERS IN A VERY SCATTERY WAY.
YOU COMBINE THAT WITH THE FACT
THAT WE PASSED PERMIT TO CARRY
IN TEXAS.
NOW I HAVE THIS FEAR OF PEOPLE
LIKE THE PROUD BOYS, A NUMBER OF
PEOPLE INVOLVED IN THE
INSURRECTION.
PLENTY OF PEOPLE FROM TEXAS DeED
TO GO AND PARTICIPATE IN THE
INSURRECTION.
THEM SHOWING UP AT THE POLLS IN
A THREATENING MANNER,
INTIMIDATING MANNER AND SAYING
THEY ARE POLL WATCHERS,
UNTRAINED POLL WATCHERS, AND
THERE IS NOTHING THAT SAYS, HEY,
YOU HAVE TO GIVE ME 50 FEET AS
THE SONG SAYS.
THAT YOU HAVE TO BACK UP.
THERES NOTHING THAT TALKS ABOUT
HOW CLOSE THAT PARTISAN POLL
WATCHER CAN BE TO THIS PERSON.
AND WEVE HEARD THESE RECORDINGS
OF THESE GROUPS THAT SAYS WERE
GOING TO HAVE TO GO DOWN THERE
TO WHERE THE FRAUD IS DURING.
TALKING ABOUT GOING INTO THE
URBAN CENTERS AND INTIMIDATING
BLACK AND BROWN VOTERS.
THAT IS A HUGE PROBLEM.
THERE WAS ONE ITERATION OF THIS
ABOUT IT WHERE THEY ACTUALLY
WANTED TO GIVE THEM POWER TO
RECORD.
WERE TALKING ABOUT GETTING RID
OF SECRECY AT THE BALLOT IF
THESE GUYS ARE ABLE TO JUST
STAND OVER YOU AND DO WHATEVER
THEY WANT TO DO.
THATS ONE ISSUE THAT A LOT OF
THEM HAD NO IDEA ABOUT THAT I
REALLY THINK IS REALLY LANDING,
24-HOUR VOTING WAS SOMETHING WE
GOT BECAUSE WE HAD A MILLENNIAL
THAT WAS RUNNING THE SHOW.
SO IT WAS CREATIVE, IT WAS NEW.
AND THATS NOT NECESSARILY
SOMETHING THAT EXISTS
EVERYWHERE.
EVEN WHEN WE TALK TO MANCHIN THE
LAST TIME.
THERE ARE 32 STATES THAT HAVE
ONLINE VOTER REGISTRATION.
WHEN IT COMES TO THE STATE OF
TEXAS, THEY WONT EVEN GIVE US A
HEARING ON AN ONLINE VOTER
REGISTRATION BILL.
SO YOU TELL ME IF THEY REALLY
WANT TO GIVE US ACCESS OR IF
THEYRE DOING EVERYTHING THEY
CAN ON DIMINISH PAIGS
PARTICIPATION.
OR WHEN THEY SAY YOU CANT SEND
A BALLOT BY MAIL APPLICATION
OUT.
IF DO YOU SEND IT TO SOMEONE WHO
IS QUALIFIED TO VOTE BY MAIL,
GUESS WHAT WILL HAPPEN.