If you're not familiar with the details of the For the People Act, you should be. I've provided a summary below. Passage of this bill is essential to preserving our democracy and we all should be urging our elected representatives in Congress to work for it, and see that it becomes the law of the land.

 

Summary:

 

Rep. Sarbanes, John P. [D-MD-3] (Introduced 01/04/2021)

 

Sen. Merkley, Jeff [D-OR] (Introduced o3/17/2021

 

The bill will address voter access, election integrity and security, campaign finance, and ethics for the three branches of government.

 

● Expands voter registration (automatic and same-day registration)

 

● Expands voting access ( vote-by-mail and early voting)

 

● Limits removing voters from voter rolls

 

● Requires states to establish independent redistricting commissions to carry out congressional redistricting

 

● Sets forth provisions related to election security, including

 

    1. –supporting states in securing their election systems
    2. –developing a national strategy to protect U.S. democratic institutions
    3. –establishing in the legislative branch the National Commission to Protect United States Democratic Institutions
    4. –other provisions to improve the cybersecurity of election systems

 

● Addresses campaign finance

 

    1. –including by expanding the prohibition on campaign spending by foreign nationals
    2. –requiring additional disclosure of campaign-related fundraising and spending
    3. –establishing an alternative campaign funding system for certain federal offices

 

● Addresses ethics in all three branches of government

 

    1. –including by requiring a code of conduct for Supreme Court Justices
    2. –prohibiting Members of the House from serving on the board of a for-profit entity
    3. –establishing additional conflict-of-interest and ethics provisions for federal employees and the White House

 

● Requires the President, the Vice President, and certain candidates for those offices to disclose 10 years of tax returns.

 

All these provisions are essential and obvious necessities for protecting the most basic element of democracy: the peoples' voice. The right to vote freely without coercion or manipulation through gerrymandering or bizarre election rules.

Categories: Culture, Education, History, Poliltics, Sociology

Author: davidlindsey