Chairman Rep. James Clyburn, D-S.C., speaks as Federal Reserve Board chairman Jerome Powell testifies on the Federal Reserve’s response to the coronavirus pandemic during a House Oversight and Reform Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, June 22, 2021. (Graeme Jennings/Pool via AP)
Top Democrats seem to be loosening their stance on their opposition to voter identification requirements. During an interview, South Carolina Representative and House Majority Whip James Clyburn (D) said his party is open to the idea as long as it’s “equitable.”
The change in tune comes after West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin (D) proposed a compromise voting rights bill, which pushes for voter I.D. requirements. However, Manchin expands the definition of identification to include using documents like utility bills, not just government issued ID’s and drivers licenses.
Democrats are now jumping to support the Manchin proposal while claiming they supported the measure all along.
“We are always for voter ID, we are never for disproportionate voter ID,” Clyburn stated. “When you tell me that you got to have a photo ID and a photo for a student activity card is not good but for a hunting license it is good, that’s where the rub is.”
However, Democrat lawmakers and activists were quick to criticize several GOP backed voter integrity bills that tout similar requirements as Manchin’s bill.
80% of Americans support voter ID.
87% of independents support voter ID.
91% of Republicans support voter ID.
62% of Democrats support voter ID.
Does someone want to tell Joe Biden?
— Lance Gooden (@Lancegooden) June 28, 2021
Several surrogates, including voting rights activist Stacey Abrams, decried a bill in Georgia that called for voter ID requirements and limit mail-in voting. She compared the bill to the suppressive policies enforced in the “Jim Crow south.”
Leftist sympathizers also hailed Democrats in the Texas legislature for walking out on a bill aimed at strengthening the state’s election system, effectively blocking the measure from passing.
Democrats are now trying to switch the narrative by claiming they are only against the most restrictive voter ID rules. They claimed no one has ever opposed voter ID laws, adding it’s been an integral part of the U.S. voting system.
Source: One America News Network
