Kendrick Meek: “I oppose this bill. I oppose this bill because we have no evidence that it will effectively fight voter fraud. This…”

“I oppose this bill. I oppose this bill because we have no evidence that it will effectively fight voter fraud. This nation has had voter fraud for hundreds of years. But the Republican leadership has apparently just noticed it. They are bringing to the floor today a bill that was introduced almost a year ago and is so complicated that it was referred to three committees on April 24, 1997. But only one Committee has even held a hearing on the bill--on June 25. None of the three Committees has voted on it. Why is the leadership afraid to let the normal Committee process work? Why are they rushing to the floor today a bill that was introduced almost a year ago? One of my constituents has an explanation. He says this bill would undermine the Motor Voter Law, erect new barriers to voting, and suppress voting by members of ethnic and racial minorities. Why are we focusing on only one kind of voter fraud? What about dead people who vote? What about U.S. citizens who vote more than once? What about U.S. citizens who are prevented from voting? Vote against this bill and send it back to the three committees so that we can develop a thoughtful bipartisan response to the serious problem of voter fraud.”