Abrams: The Insurrection ‘Has Never Stopped’ — GOP Voting Laws an Attempt to Undermine Democracy

RUSH TRANSCRIPT O DONNELL ░░░░░░░░ off our discussion tonight ░░░░░░░░ Stacey Abrams the founder ░░░░░░░░ the voter protection PAC ░░░░░░░░ Fight Action and she ░░░░░░░░ the author of the ░░░░░░░░ novel While Justice Sleeps ░░░░░░░░ is now number 1 ░░░░░░░░ the New York Times ░░░░░░░░ list for fiction Thank ░░░░░░░░ very much for joining ░░░░░░░░ tonight we really appreciate ░░░░░░░░ And congratulations on the ░░░░░░░░ list I want to ░░░░░░░░ a word in about ░░░░░░░░ book after we discuss ░░░░░░░░ rights and these issues ░░░░░░░░ the day for a ░░░░░░░░ I want to start ░░░░░░░░ what Senator Manchin is ░░░░░░░░ to do in the ░░░░░░░░ now which is to ░░░░░░░░ that provision of the ░░░░░░░░ Rights Act that the ░░░░░░░░ Court basically squashed What ░░░░░░░░ your reaction to that ░░░░░░░░ at this stage ABRAMS ░░░░░░░░ think it s an ░░░░░░░░ step to take We ░░░░░░░░ need to reauthorize the ░░░░░░░░ rights act because it ░░░░░░░░ the only way to ░░░░░░░░ new laws that will ░░░░░░░░ access to the right ░░░░░░░░ vote The challenge is ░░░░░░░░ it s not enough ░░░░░░░░ its own We have ░░░░░░░░ be both prophylactic with ░░░░░░░░ but we also have ░░░░░░░░ respond to and neutralize ░░░░░░░░ bad bills that are ░░░░░░░░ at breakneck pace right ░░░░░░░░ in Florida Georgia Arizona ░░░░░░░░ and now being introduced ░░░░░░░░ moving with speed in ░░░░░░░░ and Michigan We need ░░░░░░░░ voting rights provisions that ░░░░░░░░ embedded in the For ░░░░░░░░ People Act as well ░░░░░░░░ the John Lewis Voting ░░░░░░░░ Advancement Act Separately they ░░░░░░░░ do something important but ░░░░░░░░ they actually protect our ░░░░░░░░ But standing alone it ░░░░░░░░ insufficient to meet the ░░░░░░░░ that has never stopped ░░░░░░░░ started on January 6 ░░░░░░░░ to reverberate and we ░░░░░░░░ both of those laws ░░░░░░░░ of those actions to ░░░░░░░░ the right to vote ░░░░░░░░ to protect our democracy ░░░░░░░░ DONNELL The Georgia law ░░░░░░░░ a lot of attention ░░░░░░░░ the issue of being ░░░░░░░░ to give voters water ░░░░░░░░ they re waiting in ░░░░░░░░ but the provision that ░░░░░░░░ ultimately possibly the scariest ░░░░░░░░ all is what it ░░░░░░░░ in terms of empowering ░░░░░░░░ Georgia legislature in dealing ░░░░░░░░ election results What can ░░░░░░░░ tell us about what ░░░░░░░░ Georgia law does in ░░░░░░░░ the aftermath of voting ░░░░░░░░ how the legislature might ░░░░░░░░ might not be able ░░░░░░░░ interfere with the count ░░░░░░░░ Part of the effectiveness ░░░░░░░░ voter suppression is that ░░░░░░░░ doesn t aim at ░░░░░░░░ single target It tries ░░░░░░░░ dismantle or weaken the ░░░░░░░░ of the system So ░░░░░░░░ no water because people ░░░░░░░░ going to be standing ░░░░░░░░ line for seven or ░░░░░░░░ hours and might just ░░░░░░░░ up and go home ░░░░░░░░ if they make it ░░░░░░░░ the gauntlet they get ░░░░░░░░ ballots cast they get ░░░░░░░░ ballots counted On the ░░░░░░░░ side Republicans have said ░░░░░░░░ themselves We may not ░░░░░░░░ the outcome so we ░░░░░░░░ going to wrest away ░░░░░░░░ power we have invested ░░░░░░░░ our election workers people ░░░░░░░░ are putting their time ░░░░░░░░ their talent and their ░░░░░░░░ on the line sometimes ░░░░░░░░ we re going to ░░░░░░░░ they can be overturned ░░░░░░░░ the act of state ░░░░░░░░ who don t like ░░░░░░░░ outcome When you do ░░░░░░░░ what you re saying ░░░░░░░░ that it s not ░░░░░░░░ knowing what the outcome ░░░░░░░░ be because they re ░░░░░░░░ to rig the outcome ░░░░░░░░ they want What they ░░░░░░░░ say in response is ░░░░░░░░ it doesn t say ░░░░░░░░ in the law but ░░░░░░░░ ve been in politics ░░░░░░░░ enough as have you ░░░░░░░░ know that what s ░░░░░░░░ the paper can just ░░░░░░░░ a precursor to what ░░░░░░░░ in reality And because ░░░░░░░░ re also trying to ░░░░░░░░ access to the courts ░░░░░░░░ don t know the ░░░░░░░░ extent of the power ░░░░░░░░ ve given to themselves ░░░░░░░░ we know enough based ░░░░░░░░ what we ve see ░░░░░░░░ in Arizona what happened ░░░░░░░░ Georgia what the president ░░░░░░░░ the United States tried ░░░░░░░░ do across this country ░░░░░░░░ times We know that ░░░░░░░░ s not going to ░░░░░░░░ good for America and ░░░░░░░░ not good for voters ░░░░░░░░ it is not good ░░░░░░░░ democracy O DONNELL Republicans ░░░░░░░░ t like what happened ░░░░░░░░ Donald Trump and Rudy ░░░░░░░░ when they went to ░░░░░░░░ anywhere in this country ░░░░░░░░ the election lost everywhere ░░░░░░░░ went And so much ░░░░░░░░ this new legislation that ░░░░░░░░ being written by Republican ░░░░░░░░ legislatures is aimed at ░░░░░░░░ courts it s aimed ░░░░░░░░ trying to control the ░░░░░░░░ and minimize the court ░░░░░░░░ ability in certain situations ░░░░░░░░ seems also like a ░░░░░░░░ very troubling aspect of ░░░░░░░░ It s what happens ░░░░░░░░ the votes are cast ░░░░░░░░ Let s be clear ░░░░░░░░ is not the sua ░░░░░░░░ decision of various state ░░░░░░░░ who have been wrestling ░░░░░░░░ these decisions and decided ░░░░░░░░ respond This is an ░░░░░░░░ by the Republican national ░░░░░░░░ the big lie of ░░░░░░░░ purveyors and this is ░░░░░░░░ next attempt at undermining ░░░░░░░░ democracy Yes they re ░░░░░░░░ after the voters they ░░░░░░░░ going after the process ░░░░░░░░ they re going after ░░░░░░░░ remedy Because when you ░░░░░░░░ through the entire gauntlet ░░░░░░░░ the last vestige of ░░░░░░░░ for democracy are our ░░░░░░░░ they re going to ░░░░░░░░ to take power away ░░░░░░░░ We cannot afford to ░░░░░░░░ distracted by one or ░░░░░░░░ or three attacks We ░░░░░░░░ got to realize this ░░░░░░░░ a fuselage and they ░░░░░░░░ attacking every vestige of ░░░░░░░░ system and they expect ░░░░░░░░ to be so broken ░░░░░░░░ we no longer expect ░░░░░░░░ to be there for ░░░░░░░░ or we re so ░░░░░░░░ we can t focus ░░░░░░░░ the challenge before us ░░░░░░░░ s why there are ░░░░░░░░ than 400 bills in ░░░░░░░░ states That s why ░░░░░░░░ re refusing to take ░░░░░░░░ action Because they know ░░░░░░░░ we can actually focus ░░░░░░░░ attention on protection for ░░░░░░░░ democracy they may lose ░░░░░░░░ election I can tell ░░░░░░░░ it s not a ░░░░░░░░ thing to lose an ░░░░░░░░ but it is dangerous ░░░░░░░░ America to lose our ░░░░░░░░