Newsline

Newsline , Society

Heritage Experts Fact Check Biden and Harris’ Lies About Elections, Voting Rights, Filibuster

Posted on Wednesday, January 12, 2022
|
by Outside Contributor
|
25 Comments
|
Print
Biden-Harris

WASHINGTON—President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris repeated numerous falsehoods about the election process and the filibuster Tuesday while pushing their anti-voter agenda in Georgia. These comments come as Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer prepares to cast aside decades of Senate precedent and force changes to the filibuster in order to pass two unpopular and dangerous election bills, both of which failed to gain majority support in the Senate last year.

Both bills would overturn state election laws that are critical to securing our elections, outlawing basic safeguards such as voter ID requirements while enabling practices like mass ballot trafficking. These bills would make it easier to cheat in U.S. elections and undermine confidence in the electoral process. Hans von Spakovsky and Tom Jipping, both senior legal fellows in Heritage’s Edwin Meese III Center for Legal and Judicial Studies, fact-checked Biden and Harris’ remarks: 
 

Claim No. 1: Republicans want to make it difficult for millions of Americans to vote. 

Quote: “Across our nation anti-voter laws could make it more difficult for as many as 55 million Americans to vote. That is one out of six people in our country.” —Kamala Harris 

Rating: False 

“Election reforms passed in states like Georgia and Texas have made it easier to vote and harder to cheat. They protect voters by helping guarantee the integrity and security of the election process. Reforms such as voter ID do not suppress anyone’s vote, as shown by publicly available turnout data, and such reforms are overwhelmingly supported by voters, regardless of race or party. The claim that these reforms will prevent 55 million Americans from voting is an absurd claim that has no basis in fact whatsoever. There is not one scintilla of evidence to support such an irrational claim.” —Hans von Spakovsky 

Claim No. 2: Giving voters food and water while waiting to vote is illegal. 

Quote: “[Georgia’s law] makes it illegal to bring your neighbors, your fellow voters, food or water while they wait in line to vote.” —Joe Biden 

Rating: False 

“Like most other states, Georgia prohibits electioneering within 150 feet of a polling place or within 25 feet of any voters waiting in line to vote. The new law simply added that within such distances, no one can ‘give, offer to give, or participate in the giving of any money or gift, including, but not limited to, food and drink, to any elector.’ In other words, a candidate, his supporters, or an activist group can’t show up at a polling place with a truckload of Happy Meals and start handing them out to voters standing in line.  

“The clear intent here is to prevent operatives from any party from unduly influencing voters with money or gifts, including food and drink. The idea that Georgia is somehow doing something different by preventing gift-giving at the polls is, to put it mildly, bizarre—especially considering that this is a standard practice (as it should be) in most other states, including New York and New Jersey. Voters can bring their own food and water; elections officials can provide water to voters; and food and other refreshments can be provided by anyone outside the prohibited area close to a polling location.”—Hans von Spakovsky 

Claim No. 3: Mass mail-in voting mail is safe and secure. 

Quote: “To [Georgia Republicans], too many people voting in a democracy is a problem. So they’re putting up obstacles. For example, voting by mail is a safe and convenient way to get more people to vote.” —Joe Biden  

Rating: Misleading 

“Mail balloting is certainly needed for those who cannot vote in person because they are disabled or otherwise absent on Election Day. However, voting by mail is more insecure than any other form of voting since ballots are being cast outside the supervision of election officials and outside the observation of poll observers. Voters have numerous ways of returning those ballots through the mail, by personal delivery, and now by secured drop boxes in Georgia. Yet Biden is supporting a bill, the so-called Freedom to Vote Act, which would force states to allow paid political operatives, candidates, campaign staffers, and other third-party strangers to pick up and handle voters’ absentee ballots, putting them in a position to coerce and pressure voters and to alter, change, or fail to deliver their ballots. That is an actual ‘attack on democracy,’ not the Georgia election reforms.” —Hans von Spakovsky 

Claim No. 4: The Freedom to Vote Act will get politics out of the election process. 

Quote: “The Freedom to Vote Act takes on election subversion; to protect nonpartisan electors, officials who are doing their job, from intimidation and interference. It will get dark money out of politics, create fair, district maps and ending partisan gerrymandering.”—Joe Biden

Rating: False 

“This is the complete opposite of the truth about the Freedom to Vote Act, which would have the federal government—and the party in power—take over running elections from the states and implement reckless, dangerous policies that would make it easy to cheat and manipulate election results.” —Hans von Spakovsky 

Claim No. 5: Republicans oppose debating the voting rights bills. 

Quote: “The vice president and I have supported voting rights bills since day one of this administration, but each and every time Senate Republicans have blocked the way. Republicans opposed even debating the issue.” —Joe Biden 

Rating: False 

“Democrats want to, as Senate Rule 22 says, ‘invoke cloture,’ which literally means to stop debate. They fear that debating this unconstitutional legislation will reveal what it is—a federal power grab. Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said in 2005, when some Republicans were talking about getting rid of extended debate, that it ‘often makes better legislation.’ Democrats don’t want better legislation, they want their own legislation without any input, consensus, or compromise.  

“And it won’t be limited to a couple of voting bills. When he was a senator, Biden said in that 2005 debate that taking this step will mean that any ‘temporary majority’ will change whatever rules seem inconvenient to get what they want. This will ‘eviscerate’ the Senate and, Schumer said, turn it into a ‘legislative wasteland.’” —Tom Jipping 

Share this article:
Subscribe
Notify of
guest
25 Comments
Most Voted
Newest Oldest
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Stephen Russell
Stephen Russell
2 years ago

Been lying during campaign to date

Ashley Lineberger
Ashley Lineberger
2 years ago

As usual the lying Democrats spin out of control laws that are in control of stopping illegal actions regarding voting. The expression “speaks with forked tongue” and “slick as an snake oil salesman” best describes Democrats and anyone who buys into their con deserves what they and their family will get!

anna hubert
anna hubert
2 years ago

voting rights? Will the American citizen who was not allowed to vote please stand up

Steven
Steven
2 years ago

Once again, wake up people! If there’s a D in front of or behind someone’s name that is either running for Congress or the Senate or they are already in the Congress or the Senate, that stands for COMMUNIST so please don’t vote for the sorry bas^+*ds.

B
B
2 years ago

Why isn’t anyone talking about how to stop this devastation to our democracy? Isn’t there any way to prevent this from happening? Are we really going to sit by and watch our great country turn communist?

R.J. from Arizona
R.J. from Arizona
2 years ago

So what’s new? If course they lie. biden, harris wouldn’t know the truth if it kicked them in the butt.

Garye
Garye
2 years ago

Thank you for the article confirming what everybody knows – democrats lie!!
They care nothing about legal Citizens, their only concern is money and power for themselves!
Corrupt, immoral,anti American LOSERS that MUST be REMOVED!

Paula
Paula
2 years ago

The facts need to be given to the public so they can understand the true nature of this bill. Mainstream media will never disclose the truth, but the republican party needs to get the truth into every Americans living room.

J. Farley
J. Farley
2 years ago

The Democrats only do what they do best—–LIE, LIE, LIE, LIE. LIE, LIE AND ON AND ON AND ON!

Kat
Kat
2 years ago

Nothing unusual there- nothing but lies from Dems.

Johnny Bad
Johnny Bad
2 years ago

Liar, Liar, PANTS AFIRE!!

FedUp
FedUp
2 years ago

The easiest way to understand what the Dems are REALLY doing is to listen to them speak, because what they are actually doing is always exactly what they accuse the Republicans of doing.

bibleguy
bibleguy
2 years ago

Stop referring to Schumer as the majority leader; there is no majority in the Senate!!!

Richard Minetti
Richard Minetti
2 years ago

S Chuck y Schumer is the worst POS ever to walk the halls of congress aside from AOC, Rashida Tlaib, and Omar!

charlie
charlie
2 years ago

Many people believe these laws are really aimed at keeping it easy for the Dems to cheat but I have only heard their superiors pushing for them. Have any of the 55,000,000 people the current laws are suppressing risen up anywhere? I have never seen an actual voter claim they were prohibited from taking part because of them.

jim nicholson and kamala harris with bible and rosary behind them about her anti-catholic acts
ActBlue logo
United States Treasury check and American flag. Concept of stimulus, economic recovery payment, tax refund. Federal government grant, loan, benefit and assistance
poland and germany flags on map with euros

Stay informed! Subscribe to our Daily Newsletter.

"*" indicates required fields

25
0
Would love your thoughts, please comment.x
()
x

Subscribe to AMAC Daily News and Games