Will Hr 1 Become Law? The Future Of Us Elections

HR 1, also known as the For the People Act of 2021, was a bill in the United States Congress that aimed to make the government more transparent and accountable. It included changes to campaign finance, voting, and ethics laws. While the bill was passed by the House, it did not become law as it was not signed into law before the end of the congressional session. With Democrats in control of the Senate and the White House, there is a possibility that the bill or its provisions could be reintroduced and signed into law.

HR 1 (For the People Act of 2021)

HR1 (For the People Act of 2021)

The For the People Act of 2021 was a federal election law and government ethics bill introduced in the 117th United States Congress. It aimed to expand Americans' access to the ballot box, reduce the influence of big money in politics, strengthen ethics rules for public servants, and implement other anti-corruption measures for the purpose of fortifying democracy. The bill was passed by the House of Representatives on March 3, 2021, but it did not receive a vote in the Senate and did not become law.

Overview

The For the People Act of 2021 was divided into ten titles, each focusing on a different aspect of election policy and government ethics:

• Title I: Election Access – This title aimed to modernise voter registration and improve voting access in federal elections.
• Title II: Election Integrity – This title addressed restoration of the full protections of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and several other voting rights issues. It also sought to curb partisan gerrymandering of congressional districts.
• Title III: Election Security – This title aimed to improve the security of US election infrastructure to counter the threat of foreign interference.
• Title IV: Campaign Finance Transparency – This title aimed to increase campaign finance transparency, deter corruption, and prevent foreign money from infiltrating US elections.
• Title V: Campaign Finance Empowerment – This title aimed to counter the harmful effects of Citizens United v. FEC and related court decisions by empowering small donors and taking other steps to help working and middle-class candidates run for office.
• Title VI: Campaign Finance Oversight – This title aimed to improve the administration and enforcement of campaign finance rules and take other steps to counter corruption.
• Title VII: Ethical Standards – This title required new ethical standards for Supreme Court justices and presidential appointees, bolstered enforcement of rules governing foreign agents operating in the US, and strengthened lobbying disclosure rules.
• Title VIII: Ethics Reforms for the President, Vice President, and Federal Officers and Employees – This title created a variety of new ethics requirements for executive branch officials, including the president and vice president, and bolstered enforcement of ethics rules in the executive branch.
• Title IX: Congressional Ethics Reform – This title addressed legislative branch ethics.
• Title X: Presidential and Vice Presidential Tax Transparency – This title required sitting presidents, vice presidents, and major-party candidates for those offices to disclose their tax returns.

Procedural History

The For the People Act of 2021 was introduced in the US House of Representatives on January 4, 2021, and was passed by the House on March 3, 2021, with all but one present Democrat voting in favour and all present Republicans voting against it. The bill was then received in the US Senate on March 11, 2021, but it did not receive a vote and did not become law.

Passed House of Representatives in 2021

H.R. 1 (117th) was a bill in the United States Congress that passed the House of Representatives in 2021. It was also known as the For the People Act of 2021. The bill was a priority for Democrats, who sought to make the government more transparent and accountable to the people it serves. It contained changes to campaign finance, voting, and ethics laws.

The bill was passed by the House in 2021 with a vote of 236-173, with eight Republicans joining Democrats. However, it did not become law as it was not passed by the Senate and signed by the President, which are the required steps for a bill to become law. The Democrats knew that the bill would not pass the then Republican-controlled Senate or get support from then-President Donald Trump.

In the 117th Congress, the House had Democratic partners to advance their agenda, with the party narrowly controlling the Senate and President Joe Biden in office. However, the House had a narrow majority with 221 seats, which made the vote counting for HR 1 more difficult. The Democrats had to carefully consider how to transform bills written largely for aspirational, messaging purposes into legislation that could become law.

Despite being passed by the House, HR 1 faced challenges in becoming law due to the political dynamics and legislative process. The bill's progress and ultimate fate also depended on other factors, such as the prioritization of other bills and political negotiations.

Democrats' priorities and challenges

The Democrats' priorities and challenges are reflected in the "For the People Act of 2021" (also known as HR 1), which was passed by the House in March 2021 but failed to pass the Senate. The bill aimed to expand Americans' access to the ballot box, reduce the influence of big money in politics, strengthen ethics rules for public servants, and implement other anti-corruption measures.

The bill was a priority for the Democrats, who saw it as a way to empower American voters by protecting voting rights, ending partisan gerrymandering, and reducing barriers to voting. It was also seen as a way to fix the campaign finance system, increase transparency, and curb the power of well-heeled interests.

The bill's sponsor, Representative John Sarbanes, has continued to advocate for election reform, even after announcing his retirement. He has cosponsored other legislation, such as the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, which aims to restore portions of the Voting Rights Act that were gutted by the Supreme Court.

However, the Democrats' efforts to pass these reforms have faced challenges, particularly in the Senate, where they failed to muster enough votes to overcome the filibuster. Despite these setbacks, Democrats remain committed to fortifying democracy and plan to make voting rights bills a top priority if they regain control of the Senate.

A government overhaul and policing bill

The Freedom to Vote Act, formerly known as the For the People Act, is a bill in the United States Congress intended to expand voting rights, change campaign finance laws to reduce the influence of money in politics, ban partisan gerrymandering, and create new ethics rules for federal officeholders. The bill was introduced by John Sarbanes in 2019, on behalf of the newly elected Democratic majority in the United States House of Representatives as the first official legislation of the 116th United States Congress.

The bill would require states to offer same-day voter registration for federal elections and permit voters to make changes to their registration at the polls. It would require states to hold early voting for at least two weeks and establish automatic voter registration for individuals to be eligible to vote in elections for federal office in the state. Under the automatic voter registration provision, eligible citizens who provide information to state agencies would be automatically registered to vote unless they opt out. The bill would also expand opportunities to vote by mail and would make Election Day a federal holiday.

The bill would also introduce voluntary public financing for campaigns, matching small donations at a 6:1 ratio. The money would come from a new "Freedom From Influence Fund" under the U.S. Treasury, which would collect funds by charging a small fee assessed on criminal and civil fines and penalties or settlements with banks and corporations that commit corporate malfeasance.

The bill would also direct the National Science Foundation to make grants to study, test, and develop accessible paper ballot voting, verification, and casting mechanisms.

Requirements to become law

In the United States, a bill must be passed by both the House and the Senate in identical form and then be signed by the President to become law. The process for a bill to become a law is as follows:

• A bill is introduced in either the House or the Senate.
• The bill is referred to a committee in the House or the Senate, which studies the bill and can make changes before passing it on.
• The full House or Senate votes on the bill.
• If the bill passes in one chamber, it goes to the other chamber, which can make changes and vote on it.
• If the bill passes in both chambers, it goes to the President, who can sign it into law or veto it.
• If the President vetoes the bill, it goes back to Congress, which can override the veto with a two-thirds vote in both chambers.

The For the People Act of 2021 (H.R. 1) was introduced in the House of Representatives on January 4, 2021, and passed by the House on March 3, 2021. However, it was never passed by the Senate and therefore did not become law.

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