Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) set social media alight on Wednesday after he described legislation to make Election Day a paid holiday for federal workers as a “power grab” by Democrats.
McConnell poured cold water on House Democrats’ proposed H.R. 1 (known as the For The People Act) which contains a slew of reforms, including the Election Day proposal, which was aimed at making it easier for all Americans to be able to vote.
“Speaker Pelosi and her colleagues are advertising it as a package of urgent measures to save American democracy,” McConnell said on the Senate floor. “What it really seems to be is a package of urgent measures to rewrite the rules of American politics for the exclusive benefit of the Democratic Party.”
McConnell’s comments attracted widespread scorn on Twitter from politicians past and present, including Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Rep. Ted Lieu (D-Calif.) and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.):
What exactly does @senatemajldr Mitch McConnell have against more Americans voting? Of course Congress should make it easier for Americans to vote on Election Day. And we need a constitutional amendment establishing a nationally recognized right to vote. https://t.co/0pqGVBAKPB
— Elizabeth Warren (@ewarren) January 30, 2019
I'm sort of happy that McConnell fears making election day a federal holiday. It's such a frank acknowledgement that the GOP's ideas are not accepted by the majority of American voters.
— Ted Lieu (@tedlieu) January 31, 2019
Any party that is scared of people exercising the right to vote, will eventually be doomed. https://t.co/Sle8vAhloq
Very telling that GOP Sen Leader McConnell calls our bill to make Election Day a federal holiday a Democratic “power grab”. Maybe he forgot that voting laws are #ForThePeople not the politicians 🇺🇸 🗳 💪🏽 https://t.co/QNBLb1p94j
— Darren Soto (@DarrenSoto) January 31, 2019
An Election Day holiday WOULD be a power grab.
— Rep. Ted Deutch (@RepTedDeutch) January 30, 2019
It would be the American people grabbing power back from the wealthy special interests that dominate Washington because @senatemajldr & others prefer that it be hard to vote. #ForThePeople https://t.co/g9zZNRrxWX
Voting isn’t a “power grab”. It’s democracy, and it’s literally the entire point of our representative government.
— Kirsten Gillibrand (@SenGillibrand) January 30, 2019
And by the way: Not only should Election Day be a federal holiday, we need automatic voter registration and universal mail voting, too. https://t.co/jrJNM7Djgo
Ensuring that every eligible voter can cast their ballot isn't a 'power grab,' it's a fundamental (and Constitutionally protected) right!
— VT Sec. of State (@VermontSOS) January 30, 2019
Election Day should be a federal holiday. We ALL win when more voters participate in our democratic process. What are we even arguing about?
Can’t figure out how a federal voting holiday is a power grab for anything other than Democracy. https://t.co/bKeFSDkYhX
— Dr. Kathie Allen (@kathieallenmd) January 31, 2019
Former Labor Secretary Robert Reich, who served in former President Bill Clinton’s administration, called out McConnell and Senate Republicans:
Only Mitch McConnell and Senate Republicans could manipulate something as benign and well intentioned as making Election Day a holiday into a vast left-wing conspiracy.
— Robert Reich (@RBReich) January 31, 2019
It really shows how scared to death they are of the American people actually having a say in our democracy.
Other people were similarly irked by McConnell’s pronouncement:
Nothing @senatemajldr fears more than demographics and democracy. https://t.co/75zf8mIp41
— Col. Morris Davis (@ColMorrisDavis) January 31, 2019
If making Election Day a national holiday is a “power grab” what would you say about other expansions of the vote? Say the 19th Amendment? Democracy is best when it’s inclusive and accessible.
— Dan Rather (@DanRather) January 31, 2019
America has too few national holidays. Time off every couple of years to go and vote is not a 'power grab' - its a good idea https://t.co/gmN9F5FMlJ
— Rupert Gardener (@tartantroozers) January 30, 2019
Is it a power grab to give Americans a holiday on Election Day?
— Steven Mazie (@stevenmazie) January 30, 2019
Or is it a power grab to suppress turnout through shortened voting periods, voter-ID laws &c? https://t.co/y6vuNDRnLp
Trump stooge Mitch McConnell is right that making Election Day a federal holiday is a "power grab," but not in the way he means: Dems want to give power back to the people. GOP voter suppression and gerrymandering shows they want to take power from the people.
— Dr. DaShanne Stokes (@DaShanneStokes) January 31, 2019
“If people voted, we would lose” is a hell of a take to say out loud on the Senate floor. https://t.co/8d7XWHNbae
— Katelyn Burns (@transscribe) January 30, 2019
This is a naked admission. @senatemajldr and the Republicans don't want to make it easier for Americans to vote. Why? Because they believe that will help Democrats. What does this say about the GOP and its strategy for hanging on to power? https://t.co/GODaBv9bVt
— David Corn (@DavidCornDC) January 30, 2019
I’m so confused. Why does Mitch McConnell think giving more people the opportunity to exercise their right to vote a bad thing? 🤔 https://t.co/lQuEw5lnpD
— Sunny Hostin (@sunny) January 30, 2019
Mitch McConnell just mocked the idea of a national Election Day holiday on the Senate floor.
— Jacob Soboroff (@jacobsoboroff) January 30, 2019
Our turnout sucks — some of the worst in the world — due to our antiquated system.
But he’s not even remotely ashamed about wanting to keep turnout suppressed.pic.twitter.com/1edtOF6RrG
If I understand right Mitch McConnell came out hard against... voting... today
— Seth Abramson (@SethAbramson) January 31, 2019
McConnell has served since 1985 - 34 years. Yet he mocks the idea of government employees taking a day off once every 4 years to vote. https://t.co/mscHoInNmb
— Marc Istook (@MarcIstook) January 31, 2019
Very telling that Mitch McConnell, who's devoted his career to subverting democracy, is leading opposition to Dems democracy reform bill. He's admitting Republicans lose when more people vote https://t.co/3wvzZUWDjt
— Ari Berman (@AriBerman) January 30, 2019
The whole “if more people vote, we can’t win” line from McConnell is such an amazing self-own. https://t.co/xxuxV3vm2d
— Matthew Yglesias (@mattyglesias) January 30, 2019
So, @senatemajldr, how would Election Day being a federal holiday part of a power grab by Democrats to win elections?
— (((Mad Bastard))) (@MadBastard_v2) January 30, 2019
I mean, surely you're not saying that if more people were able to take the time to vote, to participate in the election of public officials, it would be bad? https://t.co/LHcfCCfKr4
“If everyone voted, then we would never win!”
— Fab Miss Em, From Sea To Shiny Sea (@fabmissem) January 30, 2019
Quite the take, Mitch. pic.twitter.com/kusnQwP6kH
McConnell is surely correct in that, if everyone who has the right to vote faced no impediment to exercising that right, Republicans would never win.
— Kenneth Heintz (@ktheintz) January 30, 2019
Cause he knows - If the majority of the Americans actually had the chance to vote - they would lose every single time.
— devil's advocate (@deviadvo) January 30, 2019
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