House Speaker Nancy Pelosi slammed efforts by Republican lawmakers to pass election reform laws, calling these efforts a “legislative continuation” of Jan. 6.
During a Sunday morning interview with CBS’s Face the Nation host Margaret Brennan, Pelosi said she feels that Republicans are trying to “undermine our democracy” and “the integrity of our elections” by passing new election laws, the Hill reported. These crucial aspects are the “essence of a democracy,” she said.
“I think that the order of things is very appropriate,” Pelosi said. “There’s nothing more important for us to do than protect our Constitution and our democracy.”
In the aftermath of the 2020 election results, several Republican politicians have led efforts to pass legislation to reform the way elections are conducted. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signed a law into effect on Sept. 7 that rolled back expansions of voting rights on things such as 24-hour and drive-thru voting that were allowed under the coronavirus pandemic.
Democratic Sens. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota and Joe Manchin of West Virginia introduced the Freedom to Vote Act, which seeks to require all 50 states to allow same-day voter registration without proof of identity. Under this requirement, election officials would not have any time to verify the identity of voters.
Other Republican governors who have passed election reform laws in their states include Ron DeSantis of Florida and Brian Kemp of Georgia.
DeSantis signed an election reform bill into effect that requires voters to provide identification for mail-in ballots and provides rules and regulations regarding how absentee ballots should be received and turned in. Kemp signed an election bill into effect on Mar. 25 that requires voter identification for absentee ballots, limits the usage of drop-off ballot boxes, and presents state officials with authority over local elections.
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While Democrats are attempting to pass the Freedom to Vote/John Lewis Voting Rights Act, Republicans and several politicians from across the aisle have recently attempted to promote fixing the Electoral Count Act, citing a loophole that would allow Congress to have limited power in counting Electoral College votes.
“Well, it isn’t a question of how we will handle something a year from now,” Pelosi said in response to a question regarding what she would do if federal election results end up being challenged at the state level. “What is important right now is how we protect and defend the Constitution and the voting rights.”
The Washington Examiner reached out to Nancy Pelosi for a statement but did not receive a response.
