Speaker Pelosi warned that the Republican 1/6 attack is ongoing in the states through voter suppression bills.
Video:
Speaker Pelosi says Republicans are continuing the 1/6 attack, "But what the Republicans are doing across the country is really a legislative continuation of what they did on January 6 which is to undermine our democracy, to undermine the integrity of our elections." pic.twitter.com/svFVEnMfwj
— Sarah Reese Jones (@PoliticusSarah) January 9, 2022
To get more stories like this, subscribe to our newsletter The Daily.
Transcript [provided to PoliticusUSA by the office of Speaker Pelosi:
Margaret Brennan. Well, the White House is putting its shoulder behind this push for voting rights and election law versus Build Back Better in the coming days at last. I want to ask you, when you look around the country, there are many states that are changing their own election laws. And, it could increase the chance for partisan interference when it comes to certifying an election outcome. Have you thought about that scenario for these mid-term races? Would you commit to seating an elected person if their election is not licensed in the state they are elected out of? I mean, regardless of the outcome, will you seat them?Â
Speaker Pelosi. Well, first, let’s get the bill passed. I think that the order of things is very appropriate.
There is nothing more important for us to do than protect our Constitution and our democracy. What the Republicans are doing across the country is really a legislative continuation of what they did on January 6th, which is to undermine our democracy, to undermine the integrity of our elections, to undermine the voting power, which is the essence of a democracy. So, we have to do that bill. There is no more important bill that enables us to support and defend the Constitution of the United States.Â
The 1/6 attack didn’t end after the attack on the Capitol. The Big Lie was used as justification in red states for an unprecedented wave of voter suppression bills.
Democrats have wanted to pass voting rights bills for a year, but they have run into obstruction in their own party through Sens. Manchin and Sinema. There is hope because both of the Democrats support the John Lewis Voting Rights Act and the Freedom To Vote Act. Both Democrats have expressed openness to changing the filibuster rules in the past.
Speaker Pelosi was right. The Republicans are attacking democracy and the time to respond is right now.
Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
