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QUORUM CALL:
THE
SENATOR FROM OHIO.
I ASK UNANIMOUS
CONSENT TO DISPENSE WITH THE
QUORUM CALL.
WITHOUT
I ASK UNANIMOUS
OBJECTION.
CONSENT TO SPEAK AS IF IN
MINUTES.
MORNING BUSINESS FOR UP TO TEN
WITHOUT
OBJECTION.
THANK YOU,
MADAM PRESIDENT.
EARLIER TODAY SENATOR DURBIN IN
THE SENATE JUDICIARY
SUBCOMMITTEE ON THE CONSTITUTION
AND CIVIL RIGHTS, HELD A
HEARING IN CLEVELAND TO EXAMINE
EFFORTS TO THAT COULD HINDER THE
ABILITY OF OHIOANS TO EXERCISE
ONE OF THEIR FUNDAMENTAL
CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS, THE
RIGHT TO VOTE.
THESE EFERLTS UNDER THE GUYS
OF -- GUISE OF PREVENTING FRAUD
ARE PART OF CYNICAL EFFORT TO
IMPEDE ACCESS TO THE BALLOT.
IT AREELS A NUMBER OF
COMMONSENSE MEASURES THAT ASSIST
PEOPLE WITH VOTING.
I SERVED AS SECRETARY OF STATE
OF OHIO CHARGED WITH
ADMINISTERING ELECTIONS SO I
UNDERSTAND WHAT GOES INTO
ENSURING THE FUNDAMENTAL RIGHT
TO VOTE INHERENT IN THAT
RESPONSIBILITY IS ENSURING THAT
VOTING IS ACCESSIBLE AND FREE OF
INDIM DAYS -- INTIMIDATION AND
ROADBLOCKS.
OVER A PERIOD OF DECADES, OHIO
LEGISLATORS UNDERTOOK A
BIPARTISAN AND BY UNDERSCORE
THAT WORD, BIPARTISAN EFFORT TO
HELP OHIOANS GET ACCESS TO THE
POLLS.
WHEN I WAS SECRETARY OF STATE WE
HAD SIGNIFICANT ASSISTANCE FROM
REPUBLICANS AS WE MADE VOTING
LAWS WORK FOR HUGE NUMBERS OF
PEOPLE PEPCO WE UNDERSTOOD THAT
OHIOANS HAD PRIORITIES PULLING
IN MANY DIRECTIONS SO WE SAWTD
TO MAKE REGISTRATION ACCESSIBLE.
UTILITY BILLS.
PEOPLE COULD REGISTER,WITH THE
ELECTRIC COMPANY INCLUDED FORMS
IN UTILITY BILLS.
McDONALD'S REQUESTS PRINTED A
MILLION TRAY LINERS SO PEOPLE
COULD FILL THEM OUT TO REGISTER
TO VOTE.
AT BUREAU OF MOTOR BREAKS PEOPLE
COULD VOTE THERE -- VEHICLES,
PEOPLE COULD VOTE THERE.
THERE WAS DONE BIPARTISANLY,
THE LEGISLATURE WHEN ACTING
WOULD EXPAND THIS RIGHT TO
VOTE, MAKE SURE THIS RIGHT TO
VOTE WAS PROTECTED.
GENERALLY BIPARTISAN.
TODAY RATHER THAN PROTECTING THE
RIGHT TO VOTE, WE'RE SEEING
BRAZEN ATTEMPTS TO UNDER--
UNDERMINE IT.
WE'RE TOLD THAT THIS BILL AND
LAWS LIKE IT WILL REDUCE COSTS
AND REDUCE THE RISK OF VOTER
FRAUD.
THE OVERWHELMING EFFORT
INDICATES THAT VOTER FRAUD IS
VIRTUALLY NONEXISTENCE AND THESE
LAWS WILL MAKE IT HARDER AND
MORE COSTLY FOR OHIOANS TO
EXERCISE THEIR RIGHT TO VOTE AND
MORE COSTLY FOR THE ELECTION
SYSTEM, MESSENGER TAXPAYERS,
COUNTY BOARDS OF ELECTIONS, ALL
OF THAT, TOO.
VOTERS ARE SIMPLY NOT GOING TO
WAKE UP ONE MORNING IN CLEVELAND
AND VOTE AND THEN DRIVE TO
ELYRIA AND THEN VOTE AND THEN
DRIVE TO NORWALK AND VOTE AND
THEN TO MEDINA AND VOTE AND
MANSFIELD AND VOTE.
PEOPLE AREN'T GOING TO DEFRAUD
THE SYSTEM THAT WAY.
WHY?
THEY'RE GOING TO GET CAUGHT,
PROBABLY, AND SECONDSLY,
THEY'RE GOING TO JAIL, ALL TO
TAKE THE RISK OF GIVING
PRESIDENT OBAMA OR MITT ROMNEY
11 MILLION PEOPLE.
FIVE MORE VOTES IN THE STATE OF
THAT'S NOT GOING TO HAPPEN.
YET THE PEOPLE THAT ARE
ATTACKING OUR VOTING RIGHTS ARE
CLAIMING INDIVIDUALS ARE GOING
DEFRAUD.
TO DO THINGS LIKE THAT TO
COLLEGE STUDENTS VOTING IN
COLLEGE AND THEN VOTING BACK IN
THEIR HOMETOWN.
PEOPLE AREN'T GOING TO DO THAT
BECAUSE THE DISINCENTIVES ARE
TOO STRONG.
THERE IS NO REASON SO YOU CAN
VOTE ONE STRA EXTRA TIME YOU
WOULD POSSIBLY DO THAT.
THE NEW -- THE NEW LAW
REPEALS -- THIS IS WHAT'S
DISAPPOINTING TO ME,
MADAM PRESIDENT.
THIS NEW LAW REPEALS WHAT WAS A
BIPARTISAN EFFORT IN 2006.
2006 IN RESPONSE TO SOME
ELECTION PROBLEMS OF 2004 AND
THE PRESIDENTIAL RACE WHERE
PEOPLE STOOD IN LONG, LONG
LINES TO VOTE AND THERE WERE
OTHER PROBLEMS, 2006, THE
REPUBLICAN HOUSE AND THE
REPUBLICAN SENATE IN COLUMBUS
AND THE REPUBLICAN GOVERNOR WITH
SUPPORT FROM DEMOCRATS, SO IT
WAS CLEARLY BIPARTISAN, PASSED
VOTER TAX REFORMS SET UP EARLY
VOTING.
ONE WEEK WHERE VOTING AND VOTER
REGISTRATION AND EARLY VOTING
OVERLAPPED SO PEOPLE COULD
REGISTER AND VOTE DURING THAT
WEEK IN EARLY OCTOBER.
DID OTHER THINGS THAT MADE
VOTING A LITTLE BIT MORE
ACCESSIBLE, REGISTRATION AND
VOTING MORE ACCESSIBLE.
BUT THE NEW LAW, IN SPITE OF
THAT, THE -- IN SPITE OF THE
CONSENSUS IN OHIO ABOUT VOTING,
NOW THERE IS AN EFFORT TO
UNDERCUT THAT CONSENSUS.
FIRST THE LAW SIGNIFICANTLY
REDUCES THE EARLY VOTING WINDOW.
IT TAKES AWAY FRIDAY,
SATURDAY -- SATURDAY, SUNDAY,
MONDAY VOTING BEFORE THE
ELECTION WHEN OVER 100,000
IN 2008.
PEOPLE VOTED IN OHIO THAT YEAR.
IT WAS MADE DESPITE THE FACT
THIS REDUCTION IN EARLY VOTING
MADE DESPITE THE FACT THAT
EVIDENCE OVERWHELMINGLY
INDICATES THAT LIMITING EARLY
WILL ACTUALLY COST
TAXPAYERS BOARDS OF ELECTIONS
MONEY.
CUTTING SUNDAY VOTING WAS
INTENDED TO SUPPRESS VOTING.
ON THE SUNDAY BEFORE THE
ELECTION, OHIOANS WHO WORK LONG
HOURS DURING THE WEEK OFTEN GO
TO THE POLLS AFTER CHURCH,
FULFILLING THEIR CIVIC AND
SPIRITUAL OBLIGATIONS ON THE
SAME DAY.
BY ENDING EARLY VOTING THE LINES
OUTSIDE POLLING STATIONS ON
LOCATION DAY WILL ONLY GET
LONGER, THE COSTS WILL ONLY
INCREASE.
THIS INCREASES FRUSTRATION AND
LIMITS VOTING.
ANOTHER BURDEN IS THAT IT BARS
POLL WORKERS FROM PERFORMING ONE
OF THEIR BASIC FUNCTIONS,
HELP -- HELPING VOTERS FIND
THEIR RIGHT PRECINCT.
THIS LAW NO LONGER REQUIRES THAT
POLLWORKERS ASSIST A CONFUSED,
ELDERLY, DISABLED OR YOUNG
PRECINCT.
VOTER IN GETTING THEIR CORRECT
WE'VE TRIED TO SAVE MONEY, MORE
PEOPLE VOTED EARLIER, RELIEVING
DAY, AND
THEY'VE COMBINED VOTING
PRECINCTS.
YOU'LL HAVE FEWER PRECINCTS IN
THE SAME COUNTY AND HAVE TO HIRE
FEWER POLL WORKERS.
SOMETIMES THEY COMBINE THESE
PRECINCTS IN THESE VOTING
STATIONS INTO ONE BUILDING SO
PEOPLE MIGHT WALK IN TO A
POLLING STATION AND GO TO THE
WRONG TABLE AND UNDER THE LAW
NOW THE POLL WORKER IS NOT
REQUIRED TO HELP THAT PERSON AND
SAY NO, YOU CAN'T VOTE HERE BUT
YOU CAN VOTE ACROSS IN THE ROOM
NEXT DOOR AT THIS CHURCH OR AT
THIS SCHOOL.
SO SOMEONE WILL TODAY MIGHT WALK
IN AND THE POLL WORKER WILL SAY
YOU'RE NOT ELIGIBLE TO VOTE IN
THIS PRECINCT AND YOU'LL WALK
HOME AND NOT VOTE.
THIS LAW DISCOURAGES IN MANY
WAYS BECAUSE THESE POLL WORKERS
ARE PEOPLE THAT LIVE IN THE
NEIGHBORHOOD, IT DISCOURAGES
NEIGHBORS FROM HELPING
NEIGHBORS.
IT'S A SOLUTION IN SEARCH OF A
PROBLEM.
IT IS IN FACT A SOLUTION IN
SEARCH OF A PROBLEM.
THERE WAS CONSENSUS IN OHIO THAT
2004.
TO CHANGE AFTER
THE LAWS ENACTED IN 2006 LED TO
SHORTER LINES, MORE CLARITY AND
LESS FRUSTRATION FOR VOTERS.
WHILE NONE OF THE CHANGES I
MENTIONED TODAY MAKE IT
IMPOSSIBLE TO VOTE, THEY
INSTALL -- THEY BUILD BURDENS
TO VOTING, BURDENS THAT HAVE NO
GOOD REASON.
THAT WILL MEAN FEWER MINORITY
VOTERS, FEWER YOUNG VOTERS,
FEWER ELDERLY VOTERS, FEWER
DISABLED VOTERS.
THAT MAY BE WHAT SOME
POLITICIANS IN THIS TOWN WANT
BUT IT'S NOT WHAT THE OHIO --
WHAT PEOPLE OF OHIO WANT.
OHIO DESERVES BETTER WHEN IT
COMES TO PROTECTING OUR MOST
FUNDAMENTAL CONSTITUTIONAL
RIGHTS.
ABSENCE OF A QUORUM.
MADAM PRESIDENT, I SUGGEST THE
THE CLERK
WILL CALL THE ROLL.
QUORUM CALL:
THE
SENATOR FROM OHIO.
I ASK UNANIMOUS
CONSENT TO DISPENSE WITH THE
QUORUM CALL.
WITHOUT
OBJECTION.
I ASK UNANIMOUS
CONSENT THE SENATE PROCEED TO A
PERIOD OF MORNING BUSINESS WITH
SENATORS PERMITTED TO SPEAK
THEREIN UP TO TEN MINUTES EACH.
WITHOUT
OBJECTION.
MADAM PRESIDENT, I
AT THE DESK.
UNDERSTAND THERE ARE FOUR BILLS
I ASK FOR THEIR FIRST READING EN
BLOC.
THE CLERK
WILL READ THE TITLES OF THE BILL
FOR THE FIRST TIME EN BLOC.
H.R. 2050, AN ACT TO
AUTHORIZE A CONTINUED USE OF
CERTAIN WATER DIVERSIONS LOCATED
ON NATIONAL FOREST SYSTEM LAND
AND SO FORTH AND FOR OTHER
PURPOSES.
H.R. 2240, AN ACT TO AUTHORIZE
OR INTEREST IN
LAND BETWEEN LOWELL NATIONAL
HISTORIC PARK AND THE CITY OF
LOWELL AND IN THE QELT OF
MASSACHUSETTS AND FOR OTHER
PURPOSES.
H.R. 4628, AN ACT TO EXTEND
STUDENT LOAN INTEREST RATES FOR
THE UNDERGRADUATE FEDERAL DIRECT
STAFFORD LOANS.
H.R. 4849, AN ACT TO DIRECT THE
SECRETARY OF THE INTERIOR TO
ISSUE COMMERCIAL USE
AUTHORIZATIONS TO COMMERCIAL
STOCK OPERATORS AND SO FORTH AND
FOR OTHER PURPOSES.
I NOW ASK FOR A
SECOND READING EN BLOC AND I
BLOC.
REQUEST TO MY OWN REQUEST EN
OBJECTION
HAVING BEEN HEARD, THE
PROPOSALS WILL BE READ ON THE
NEXT LEGISLATIVE DAY.
MADAM PRESIDENT, I
ASK UNANIMOUS CONSENT THAT
QUESTION WHEN THE SENATE
COMPLETES ITS BUSINESS TODAY IT
ADJOURNS UNTIL TUESDAY, MAY 8
AT 10:00 A.M., FOLLOWING THE
PRAYER AND PLEDGE PLEJ, THE
JOURNAL OF PROCEEDINGS APPROVED
TO DATE DATE, THE MORNING
BUSINESS DEEMED EXPIRED AND THE
TIME FOR THE TWO LEADERS
RESERVED FOR USE LATER IF THE
DAY.
THAT THE SENATE RETSUNAMI
CONSIDERATION OF THE MOTION TO
PROCEED TO S. 2343, THE STOP
STUDENT LOAN INTEREST RATE HIKE
ACT, WITH THE TIME EQUALLY
DIVIDED AND CONTROLLED BY THE
LEADERS OR ARE IN DESIGNEES AND
FOLLOWING THE REMARKS.
TWO LEADERS THE MAJORITY TWOAL
THE FIRST 30 MINUTES AND THE
30 MINUTES.
REPUBLICANS CONTROL THE SECOND
AND THAT FOLLOWING THE CLOTURE
VOTE ON THE MOTION TO PROCEED TO
S. 2343, THE SENATE RECESS
UNTIL 2:15 TO ALLOW FOR THE
WEEKLY CAUCUS MEETINGS.
WITHOUT
OBJECTION.
MR. BROWN: THE FIRST VOTE
TOMORROW WILL BE AT NOON ON THE
MOTION TO INVOKE CLOTURE ON THE
MOTION TO PROCEED TO S. 2343,
THE STOP STUDENT LOAN INTEREST
IF THERE'S NO FURTHER BUSINESS
RATE HIKE ACT.
TO COME BEFORE THE SENATE, I ASK
THAT IT ADJOURN UNDER THE
PREVIOUS ORDER.
THE
SENATE STANDS ADJOURNED UNTIL
10:00 A.M.
ADJOURN: