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Video Transcript
This President of the United States was to issue an executive order uh about so called election integrity and he created an election integrity Commission and this commission instead of looking into the serious violations or attempted efforts to hack our election of by the russians instead of using a Commission to look at voter suppression efforts that are going on all across our country many states he has instead decided to focus his so-called election integrity Commission on a thinly veiled effort to expose the lie to expose this idea that people were voting in the millions illegally and thus I believe we believe we believe that it's an attempt to push policies that are really designed to further suppress voting in especially vulnerable communities and so there is no credibility to his claim that nearly three point three million Americans have voted have voted fraudulently in fact we know from tremendous research that's happened already that a person is more likely to be struck by lightning than to commit in-person voter fraud in a 2014 study they looked at elections between 2000 and 2014 and found only 31 instances of been credible in-person voter fraud in the more than one billion votes that were cast during those 14 years only 32 of the over one billion votes cast a recent report from the Brennan Center we're studying 42 specific jurisdictions in which election officials oversaw the tabulation of 23.5 million votes in 2016 they've thus far found just 30 possible cases of non citizens vote only 30 possible cases and so our bill goes right after this fraud - this farce others being committed right now using tax payer dollars using administrative resources this all the real issues real crises real challenges around our country in the world use taxpayer dollars and administrative resources for this is wrong. And so our bill would repeal Donald Trump's executive order creating this sham of a Commission and prohibit any federal funds from being used to support this is so-call election integrity committee every one of our taxpayer dollars that is spent on this sham of a Commission is a waste of precious resources and with also lend credibility to this dangerous and absurd crusade encouraging more Americans to participate in the voting process is a good thing it makes our government more representative and strengthens our democracy we need to be encouraging people to vote and we need to be focusing on efforts going on right now in many States to restrict access to the polls. It is outrageous this administration is actually rolling back Justice Department's involvement in trying to stop voter suppression in states like North Carolina or specifically in Texas instead of leaning forward and dealing with real issues there are threatening American elections like the Russians they are instead creating sham commissions like this none of us can afford to be silent at this moment when our democracy is being attacked by foreign nations and buy a President who is trying to push a dangerous lie. I to bring to the podium now again my partner in this effort. I'm very grateful that she's here. Senator Hirono. you all everybody to join us senator booker in focus to what are called the creation of this in this convention a solutions is searching the problem uh and if you can use a lot of different first to just by what is happening with the creation of this smoothies Commission to focus on some clothes for a bride in this based on the life line being the better with massive work from the country and never miss out in the case so oh to use tax very service cast ready uh in the shower effort up in search of other problems including you know there's a word that we use in the life of this kind of remember couched under the the the law offices of governmental action to do right or wrong and she by um the translation for that to others being yes so we know that there are warning of rights issues along our country and has very much to do with voter suppression and after the United States Supreme courses in decision and show the County which basically got it they write that you have some 33 States have enacted all kinds of voter suppression laws which will pull that the Department of Justice would focus on challenge but is that four of the value exact that's just Mexican import took away basically the ability and the requirement that the Justice Department get in there and that's the kind of program questions with regard to always stay strong pass are water suppression also that's the real voter problem that we have in our country not sham were a freshman voting but these efforts on the part of state after state just Super He We're moving and also direction so remember that words you buy I want to enter the vernacular anytime this administration which so frequently accuses everybody else of faith lose their lives in this is uh faith news she by yes okay you or have any questions that in the back please Center when you said you have any fuck is fork contains the realities of this actually can get a mirror to all of you I really appreciate the question and let let us put a clearly uh it will be highly responsible is senators and Republicans are receiving centers or copper medical numbers remain fun what are job or swarm folks right now is uh to a whole protect constitution I take that very seriously it's for oversight uh to the administration and so it is Justin right uh better the time where we see I think efforts to undermine the most basic constitutional rights which is the right to vote and participate in this democracy uh did not know Center nope House member should be style during this times why a point uh to richmond I'm profile for you on uh Christian I'm thankful best series uh most of our caucus of not laura caucus who support this piece of legislation but in terms of the practicalities of getting one Republican to step up oh and called it like it is um I think it's gonna be a long shot but stop something when you stop trying to do because you heard Republicans themselves when donald trump work that live July oh thank you thank you very proud of the work we can push for that live um you're hurting Republicans coming out full course calling it like it was so that's simply not true and so uh it's not to the President ly is it that lies to speak of lead dangerous um when it comes to uh acting up people's understanding faith in our democracy it's also despicable dangerous it is followed by a Commission is going to use taxpayer dollars and resources of uh two to engage in pursuit of something uh so the various is what the uh clean happen now this is a final point I'm so happy when it comes to getting Republican support that both Republican and Democrat state's the left States uh have a powerful set uh very clearly they're not giving over information you know I mean this is something that I'm really proud of it if there's a real problem here Republican checkers est we'll be happy to uh to be operating sure with the National effort do something about this problem but there's no problem this is a fraud it is a shampoo is just divine land there so let me point out that the majority of States have said that what they want nothing to do with having to um this pose is kind of information because for one thing and we already know that Russia try to did hacking two over over a thousand 20 16 soul water uh um making this awesome so this this kind of information to see you soon um make it a lot easier for our country such as the chef to make more um haven't into our elections and we also should be reminded that the kind of work of this Commission that their vacation really with it it's gonna make it on the heart of full the Sun minorities and immigrants and those um groups that are the most vulnerable to them for suppression laws and those in false or going to making the I like to be so let's just call a spade And there's hope out there because you see the engagement of people in you know that the people are being told that the Center of the House health care field very fantastic and see up to that challenge nationalize so my hope along with them for is that people will come They're having the target time even exercising for me He is a gentleman um from me from this questions or an idea put your concern both continue this mission will be used to justify of either federal state voter id was that at one come on in I'm living more see you soon to start this okay I mean this probably where you wanna go but if so one thing they're not gonna be able to get the kind of information into a post or any kind of argument that they wanna make them back to uh more suppression laws are leaving in a lot of our beautiful Yeah but I think that that is exactly the direction they want to And delicious understand what kind of violation this is uh in the sand to view the right to vote I talk about become our constitutional um up do these december's because our stand with customer friend they are large parts of our population we're not allowed to have free and open access to the ballot um women really died in pursuit of the right percent which uh after Americans die together goodman chain sure blacks Christians of Jews whites dying together uh to fight uh for the right to vote and so every generation of Americans has been engagement by to expand access to the polls champions heroes name we don't know of people that lined up to fight for the right to vote remember there was a time that the right to vote was attached to property owners in this country and we for every generation to expand access to the polls and now here comes donald trump who wins an election by winning the electoral College not the popular goal and what it seems that is the go put stand the truth of that reality that creates a lot and now actually is put this together Commission a hole integrity Commission to try to support his live well this is frustrating not just because of the usage of uh the usage of tax payer dollars but it flies in the face of history that time mention before of people literally dying fighting struggling to expand right to vote and so what with Center almost talking about them I wanna deal in a second to a guy I think just might broke the land speed record for running from the House to set that should be a competition happy Monday to set the record um somehow we just voted in interior last year um send a Christian I just wanted to say something uh it hurts when you have a federal judge hold out these kind of efforts of the President seems to be support right now that are targeting my words this hurts that that federal judge wrote that this is the done to disenfranchise blacks with surgical precision if this is going on in our country that's the crisis to crisis is after generations of expanding the franchise in this country your people actively now trying to constricted and this sham of a Commission is biscuits form one of those efforts and being led by someone who history of trying to find creative ways to disenfranchise people uh his clear the job a friend of mine and my leader and congressional black caucus uh and one of the true rising stars American leadership just grateful all the uh find someone to give you that not even breaking a sweat of the brand uh colleagues will be jealous right now synergy but let me first by just thinking uh sitting around and senator booker for being here I'm sure that they have covered this matter in a very eloquent and something to place I will be just uh very short this is you this critical uh to American democracy and you want everyone participating and who will shape govern and lead this country so the fact that we have establish a Commission that is a proponent of voter suppression it's scared and if I just look back at my personal family is from the course place in America and you start thinking about my neighbors state of Mississippi more specifically Philadelphia Mississippi good changes sword for young students who came together to help people register to vote so that they can participate in the greatest democracy in the world which makes America exception so when you start thinking of that precious right to both that people sacrificed and will be from them died for then you understand why it's so important to us because for so many people is their only voice in the democracy they don't have a lot of us they don't have the ability to come to dc not gonna office door but for some of them going to that ballot box is how they express their right as an American and how they participate in this country so when you hear a lot of my colleagues talk about how exceptional Americans it is exception but it was it always accepts we came became exceptional through blood sweat and tears of many people and the fact that we expand it the electorate and we want more people to be an included so that they can have the right to vote minorities and women so we made this country exceptional and the one thing we cannot do is sit back and let anyone take us backwards and this uh this Commission as set up by the President and if you look at the players involved in leadership other it should terrify every American that is taking this country back to a place that we don't wanna go in a place where everyone was not uh invited to participate and our very secret democracy so I just wanna thank you senator focus and are auto for their leadership uh and it's great to be a House number of invited over this uh thank you thank you everybody thank you right for
Cory BookerVideosJoining my colleagues to introduce the Anti-Voter Suppression...