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1 Wendy Weiser, et al., The Case for H.R. 1 1 (April 10, 2020)

handle is hein.brennan/bcjcshr0001 and id is 1 raw text is: The Case for H.R. 1 By Wendy Weiser, Daniel I. Weiner, and Dominique Erney PUBLISHED APRIL 10, 2020 merican democracy urgently needs repair. For Sdecades, public trust has declined as longstand- I king problems with our system of self-government have worsened. Lawmakers are beholden to wealthy donors more than constituents. Citizens' voices are silenced through voter suppression, gerrymandering, and other violations of their civil and political rights. The viru- lent coronavirus underscores the urgent need for a func- tioning democracy that serves all the people. Even under less trying circumstances, recent national elections revealed serious problems in our electoral system. In 2014, turnout plunged to the lowest in 72 years. In 2018, states engaged in brazen and widespread voter suppression - enforcing discriminatory voter identifica- tion laws and conducted large-scale purges of the voter rolls, among other tactics. Elsewhere, outdated registra- tion systems and technology produced long lines at poll- ing places. Super PACs and dark money groups, funded mostly by a tiny class of megadonors, spent over $1 billion. All the while, our election infrastructure was at risk of manipulation by foreign adversaries. In the face of these challenges, in 2018 voters mobi- lized for reform. They surged to the polls in the high- est numbers since 1914 and elected a record number of candidates pledged to democracy reform. Over 100 House candidates alone ran on change platforms. Of the 43 Democratic challengers who flipped seats, 25 ran on reforming the system. Voters approved ballot measures to unrig politics-tackling redistricting, voting, and campaign finance-often by large bipartisan majorities, in red, blue, and purple states. Since then, momentum for reform has continued to build. In 2019, nearly 700 pro-voter bills were introduced in 46 states. Maine enacted automatic voter registration, New Mexico same day registration, and New York small donor public financing. We saw voting rights restored or expanded for those with past criminal convictions in Kentucky, Colorado, Nevada, Illinois, Louisiana, and New Jersey. This momentum carried into 2020. Thus far, lawmakers in 29 states have introduced 188 bills to expand access (far more than bills to curb voting). In February, Virginia moved legislation on automatic voter registration, same day registration, and redistricting. Every Democratic presidential candidate ran with democracy reform as a top goal. Most important, in 2019, the House of Represen- tatives passed H.R. 1, the For the People Act of 2019. This historic legislation contains key reforms to revital- ize American democracy-including automatic voter registration, small donor public financing, redistricting reform, and a commitment to restore the Voting Rights Act. It would make voting easier and more accessible, lower barriers to running for office, and empower voters to choose their representatives, rather than let repre- sentatives choose their voters. H.R. 1 would be the most sweeping reform in a half century, the most significant change to pass either chamber. It has secured cosponsor- ship from every Democratic senator. The major obstacle to passing this important legislation is Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who currently refuses to bring the bill to the Senate floor for a vote. For far too long, lawmakers have neglected to address our democracy's worsening problems. Now we face a new challenge: a worldwide pandemic that will necessitate substantial changes to election procedures and other reforms to ensure that every American can register to Brennan Center for Justice at New York University School of Law

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