Congressman Cohen Applauds Passage of For the People Act

WASHINGTON – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09), Chairman of the Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights and Civil Liberties, which has jurisdiction over voting rights, today voted for H.R. 1, the For the People Act. The measure will restore public confidence in the integrity of U.S. elections, limit the influence of Big Money and special interests, strengthen oversight of election spending, establish non-partisan commissions for redistricting, and end conflicts of interest while improving ethics rules.

The vote on passage was 220 to 210. Read a summary of what is in the bill, and how it strengthens democracy, here.

After the vote, Congressman Cohen made the following statement:

"Congress is keeping its promise to restore integrity to our elections and assuring those with the right to vote fair access to the polls. The For the People Act also improves ethics rules, limits the revolving door for lobbyists, restricts Big Money and improves disclosure of where campaign money comes from. This is what the public expects and what it has been asking for. I'm proud to vote for this important set of reforms."

Before the vote, Congressman Cohen spoke from the House floor, calling attention to the measure's creation of non-partisan redistricting commissions and its incorporation of the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Act. In those remarks, he said:

"This is an important and good bill. It's a comprehensive bill that takes in a lot of issues that are important to giving people their opportunity to vote and the people the opportunity to elect their leaders in a fair manner.

"The most important, I think…, is redistricting. It has non-partisan redistricting commissions to decide how the state legislatures and Congressional seats will be designed so that they are geographic, understandable and done without the intent of electing a particular party to that position. Right now, most of the districts are determined in the primaries. That's why we don't have competitive districts and people coming closer to the center to try to work together.

"This bill also has the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Act. John Lewis was the conscience of the Congress. He almost gave his life in Selma, Alabama for the right to vote."

See the entire speech here.

Congressman Cohen has introduced the John Tanner Fairness and Independence in Redistricting Act over the past several Congresses to create the kinds of independent redistricting commissions contemplated in H.R. 1. Those bills are named after former West Tennessee Congressman John Tanner, a longtime advocate of such commissions.

H.R. 1 also includes congressional findings regarding the need to update the Voting Rights Act of 1965. As Chairman of the Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties, Congressman Cohen chaired multiple hearings in the last Congress identifying current discriminatory voting policies, including a September 2019 field hearing held at the University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law. He also helped shepherd the passage of the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Act through the House of Representatives.