HR 1 Bill: A Nightmare to Republicans Voter Suppression Strategies

The United States has suffered for a long time from Republicans‘ ever-lasting voter suppression strategies that they pursued for ages. 

From putting roadblocks in the voter registration process to curbing the constitutional right of early voting, Republicans sought out-of-the-box strategies to cut down the voter turnout in every possible way.

The signing of the HR 1 bill, also known as “For the People Act,” by the House Democrats is a measure to remember that will stop Republicans from pursuit of election suppression strategies.

With the latest bill, the decentralization of the American election process will be reversed. Republicans will no longer be able to pass the laws that they have been introducing lately in states like Georgia, Pennsylvania, and Arizona.

The HR1 bill would also be a nightmare for Trump, as it would require presidential candidates to disclose their prior ten years of tax returns.

Republicans are already in a panic, and they showed their resistance against the bill. Democrats, however, believe that, if passed, this bill would be in the best interest of the United States in the long run.

How is this bill putting an end to Republicans’ voter suppression strategies? Let’s have a look.

HR 1 Bill: A Nightmare to Republicans’ Voter Strategy

Voter suppression strategy always remained the core of the Republicans’ election strategy. In the name of election integrity, Republicans have been passing laws in bulk that hinder the voting rights of already marginalized people. 

These measures from Republicans gained significance in the 2020 elections under Donald Trump’s leadership, who left no stone unturned to curb voters.

Not only this, the Republicans’ strategy in the post-2020 election seems the same, to suppress as many votes as possible. 

Amid all of this suppression, the Democrats bid to introduce an HR1 bill, a legislative measure that will uplift the voter status all across the United States. is a commendable move.

As a matter of fact, the election laws in the United States are heavily driven by individual states, so each and every state can make its own election laws.

Each state can make its own voter eligibility laws, which can be a basic hurdle for a free and fair election. Republicans intentionally tend to disenfranchise those voters who are likely to vote for Democrats. 

In some cases, they have increased the minimum voting age; other times, they try to disenfranchise incarcerated individuals and people of color.

According to the legislation,

“(It) ensures that American elections are decided by American voters, by enhancing federal support for voting system security, specifically with regard to paper ballots, and also by increasing oversight of election system vendors and by requiring the development of a national strategy to protect U.S. democratic institutions.”

(HR 1 Bill)

With the implementation of this law, democracy will prevail in the country, as per the vision of Abraham Lincoln, who labeled people as the major pillar of democracy. 

HR 1 bill minimizes the Republicans’ chances of manipulating the election, as it has the following features in it.

• The HR 1 bill will pave the way for voters to the voting booths by empowering voters.
• It has the feature of automatic voter registration in it.
• The bill encourages early voting and absentee voting across the country.
• It curbs voter purging from the voter lists.
• The bill will give voting rights to felons.
• It will also empower people to use their mail-in ballots rights.
• It will restrain the states from making unnecessary and unconstitutional laws.

HR 1 bill: The End of Heavy Money in Politics?

The use of money in politics has always remained a major problem in the United States. Wealthy politicians spend way too much money to throw their competition away in the initial stages of elections.

This way, people from the lower class tend not to come into politics, considering it a profession for the wealthy.

The HR 1 bill also aims to restrict the use of money in American politics by introducing the concept of “Honest Ads Policy.“

The organizations involved in political funding would have to disclose much more currently secretive information to the agencies. 

As it stands now, donors can fund political campaigns by investing money through charities that keep a blanket on important financial information.

Now charities will also be vulnerable to additional scrutiny if they invest in political campaigns, which is a promising way to identify the original donor.

This is a step in the right direction, as many wealthy businessmen flood their money into political advertisements. This measure will also end foreign funding for political campaigns.

Republicans were vocal against this measure as, according to them, the majority of their donors were charities. Republicans are accused of using this method to garner the support of wealthy businessmen who do not disclose their information.

After the passage of the HR 1 bill, Republicans will be vulnerable to the investigations, which will be a major hurdle in their political funding.

Republicans End of Gerrymandering Practices under HR 1 Bill

HR 1 Bill is also an alarm for those involved in gerrymandering. Republicans used this technique to mark the districts so that they can minimize the participation of Democratic voters. 

This gerrymandering technique remained subjected to criticism on various levels.

Right now, states have no mechanism of check and balance for the fair marking of the districts, so most of the time, this demarcation of districts is driven through political interests.

Now, under the HR 1 bill, an independent commission would be used for the purpose, and with a strong check and balancing system, the politicization of the elections will be revoked.

HR 1 Bill: The End of Trump’s Political Career

The HR 1 bill is also the final nail in Trump’s coffin, as it could bar Trump from the future presidential races.

As the executive head of the country, the president would need to disclose his tax returns for the last ten years. 

This measure will give favorable fields to the investigation agencies, who could prosecute the politicians for tax evasion.

While on the one hand, Trump was accused of paying only $750 in taxes; on the other hand, the Supreme Court has allowed the attorneys to get access to Trump’s tax filings and the financial matters.

This can be detrimental for Trump, whose integrity in business and financial dealings remains a question to date.

If Congress passes this bill, Donald Trump can face severe restrictions in his future election campaigns.

Not only this, his possible new political venture, the Patriot Party, will be buried before the official inauguration.

Final Thoughts

The long era of Republicans blaming the voting machinery for their election losses seems to be ending now. Republicans most often tried to change the election laws in their favor by leveraging voter fraud.

The HR 1 bill will settle the dust once and for all. As all Democrats have signed the bill, they are expected to vote in favor of it.

However, Republicans can try to lobby against the bill, which is the only roadblock in the way of the bill right now.

Republicans can also use the power of filibuster to delay the bill. It is upon Democrats now how they lobby and win enough support to bring the United States back to the democratic process.

Eli Mshomi

Eli is a Political Data Scientist with over thirty years of experience in Data Engineering, Analytics, and Digital Marketing. Eli uses his expertise to give the latest information and distinctive analysis on US Political News, US Foreign Affairs, Human Rights, and Racial Justice equipping readers with the inequivalent knowledge.