Durbin, Duckworth Join Introduction Of Bill To Block Trump’s Executive Order Restricting Vote By Mail

Durbin, Duckworth Join Introduction Of Bill To Block Trump's Executive Order Restricting Vote By Mail

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined U.S. Senators Alex Padilla (D-CA) and Gary Peters (D-MI) to introduce the Absentee and Mail Voter Protection Act (Absentee MVP Act), which would block President Trump's illegal and unconstitutional executive order attacking mail and absentee ballots and protect the right to vote by mail.

The Absentee MVP Act would nullify Trump's unlawful March 31 executive order (EO) that aims to illegally re-write federal election rules or any similar order and prohibit the U.S. Postal Service (USPS), the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and any other agency from spending funds to implement actions in the President's unconstitutional executive order. At its core, the EO would give the USPS sweeping new authority to decide which voters may cast ballots by mail by ordering the USPS to reject and refuse delivery of lawful ballots unless states comply with newly established federal eligibility lists. Those who do not comply with these restrictions would face serious consequences: election officials, mail carriers, and others who send or deliver ballots to voters the administration considers ineligible could face criminal charges, and states and local governments forfeit federal funding. To lay the groundwork for this override of existing state and federal voting laws, the order also tasks DHS with building state-by-state rosters of voting-age American citizens - drawn from federal data sources widely considered to be incomplete and unreliable.

"The right to vote is fundamental to our nation's democracy. But the President, time and time again, has attacked Americans' access to the ballot box, and his latest strategy is an executive order that targets mail-in voting," said Durbin. "I'm joining Senator Padilla to introduce the Absentee MVP Act to protect Americans' right to vote from any presidential administration, including this one, that tries to interfere with absentee and mail-in ballots."

"Donald Trump knows his policies aren't popular and not what he promised, so he is desperate to stop Americans from making their voices heard at the ballot box," said Duckworth. "This executive order is the latest in his illegal and unconstitutional attack on the right to vote by mail, silencing millions-especially seniors, active-duty servicemembers and other Americans who rely on absentee ballots. I'm proud to join my colleagues in introducing the Absentee and Mail Voter Protection Act to safeguard every American's right to vote by mail, no matter who is in the White House."

In addition to nullifying the EO, the legislation bars any similar EO and provides additional limits on Trump Administration attempts to implement the actions in the EO, including by:

• Blocking the Department of Justice (DOJ) and DHS from sharing state voter lists
• Defunding the DOJ's efforts to compel production of state voter lists
• Enforcing the Privacy Act by barring federal agencies from improperly sharing voter data, both within the government and with outside groups
• Defunding any future Commerce Department efforts to enact partisan regulation of mail in ballots

"NALC appreciates Sens. Peters, Padilla and Durbin's leadership in fighting to protect Americans' access to mail-in ballots," NALC President Brian L. Renfroe said. "Voting by mail is safe, secure and makes it easier for tens of millions of Americans to participate in our democracy. As this executive order is considered in the courts, NALC supports this legislation that focuses on protecting Americans' right to vote by mail."

The legislation is co-sponsored by U.S. Senators Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Chris Coons (D-DE), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Andy Kim (D-NJ), Angus King (I-ME), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Ed Markey (D-MA0, Chris Murphy (D-CT), Patty Murray (D-WA), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Mark Warner (D-VA), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Peter Welch (D-VT), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), and Ron Wyden (D-OR).

The Absentee MVP Act is available here.

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