Tina Smith: “Madam Vice President, I rise today with my Democratic colleagues in support of one fundamental idea, the cornerstone of…”

“Madam Vice President, I rise today with my Democratic colleagues in support of one fundamental idea, the cornerstone of our democracy: that every eligible citizen of this country has the right to vote and have their vote counted. Cut to the chase, and that is what this about. Passing the Freedom to Vote Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act would mean saying yes to basic, commonsense standards for free and fair elections; safeguarding our constitutional right to choose our own representatives; and going after dark money in our politics. Failing to pass these bills means we will continue to allow Republican State legislatures to undermine our democracy by suppressing some people's access to their constitutional right to vote, based on who they are, where they live, and whether they are likely to vote Republican. Today on the Senate floor, not a single Republican Senator is willing to join us Democrats in support of the Freedom to Vote Act and these commonsense standards for free and fair elections. This is a tragedy. I have been listening to their arguments, and to be honest, they just don't hold water. Republicans argue that the Freedom to Vote Act is a ``Federal takeover of elections,'' or a power grab. This is ridiculous.…”