Biden called the new Texas voting bill, settled by state Republicans, “an assault” on America’s democracy.
On Saturday, a draft of the bill was circulated in the Texas House and Senate. The bill is anticipated to pass through the legislative process, which will soon after being sent to Texas Gov. Greg Abbott for signature.
NEW: Biden called a Texas bill set to be signed into law that puts new restrictions on voting "part of an assault on democracy that we’ve seen far too often this year." https://t.co/vGuuuVTZ63
— Axios (@axios) May 29, 2021
The Texas voting bill is expected to ban drive-thru voting and 24-hour voting. It is also expected to compel voters to seek absentee ballots, instead of election officials sending applications to all voters, curtailing the use of drop boxes.
In addition to this, the law also set the voting hours starting from 6 am to 9 pm.
Biden calls the bill an “assault on democracy.”
Meanwhile, Biden voiced his apparent opposition to the Texas voting bill. He stated that it is an “assault on democracy” and that they have been seeing this type of move “too often” in 2021. Biden also alleged that he had seen it “disproportionately targeting” Americans who are black and brown. He later claimed that the bill is wrong and “un-American.”
Accordingly, Biden also mentioned the U.S. Congress. He called them out to pass the For People Act as well as the John Lewis Voting Rights Act. These two voting bills, led by Democrats, seek to expand voting access, particularly in minority communities.
The bill would also stop using temporary structures as voting facilities and strengthen the access for poll watchers. Moreover, it also inflicts new penalties for poll observers who meddle with the rules that interfere with the voting process.
Texas is not the only red state to pass voting laws in light of the 2020 election. Other Republican-led states that opted to do the same are Arizona, Florida, and Georgia.
However, compared to other states where the election results were widely contested, Trump won Texas easily.
Rep. Brisco Cain: The legislation is meant to protect voters
⏰ A 3 a.m. vote advanced SB7, the main bill set to change the state’s voting rules. The pared down version includes significant amendments to protect voters all of which can still be removed in conference committee behind closed doors. #staytuned #texas https://t.co/sQBKJQA8kY
— Joanna For Texas | Joanna Cattanach 💙 (@JoannaCattanach) May 7, 2021
According to the bill’s author, Rep. Brisco Cain, the legislation is meant to protect voters. It will also prevent election crimes in the future. He also added that it was particularly in response to the past election.
Cain said that the Constitution authorizes the legislative body to pass laws to attack fraud. They were also given the power to preserve the sanctity of ballots, adding that he has seen many polls that suggest a drop in the trust in our election process.
Yet, some groups argued that the bill was meant to target people of color and voters with disabilities.
Sarah Labowitzz, policy and advocacy director of the ACLU Texas, said that the bill is a “ruthless piece of legislation.” She added that it targets people of color as well as people with disabilities. She also claimed that Texas has already been one of the most challenging places to vote in the U.S.
