IOWA SENATORS CHUCK GRASSLEY AND JONI ERNST WERE AMONG THE 50 SENATE REPUBLICANS TO BLOCK DEBATE OF A BILL THAT WOULD REQUIRE AUTOMATIC VOTER REGISTRATION NATIONWIDE AND AT LEAST 15 DAYS OF EARLY VOTING IN EACH ELECTION.
60 VOTES ARE NEEDED BEFORE A BILL CAN BE DEBATED.
ERNST, A FORMER COUNTY AUDITOR WHO OVERSAW MONTGOMERY COUNTY ELECTIONS, CALLS THE BILL A D-C POWER GRAB.
VOTO1 OC….ELECTIONS :20
GRASSLEY SAYS HE VOTED AGAINST DEBATING THE PLAN BECAUSE IT WOULD STRIP STATES OF KEY ELECTION MANAGEMENT DECISIONS.
IOWA G-O-P CHAIRMAN JEFF KAUFMANN SAYS THE BILL SHOWS DEMOCRATS ARE DESPERATE ABOUT THE 2022 ELECTION.
VOTO2 OC….DO NOT WANT IT :08
DEMOCRATS HAVE ARGUED THEIR BILL IS A NECESSARY RESPONSE TO ELECTION LAW CHANGES BEING MADE IN G-O-P-LED STATE LEGISLATURES IN IOWA AND OTHER STATES.