Jennifer Lawrence hits out at ‘cheating’ Republicans attacking right to vote in new advert
- 14 Jun 2021
Jennifer Lawrence has blamed a “radical wing” of the Republican Party for actively “dismantling” America’s rights to vote by working to pass stricter voting regulations.
The 30-year-old actor appeared in a new video for a non-profit organisation called RepresentUs that advocates for state and local laws based on a model legislation called American Anti-Corruption Act.
She said: “Whatever your personal politics are, whatever side of the aisle you find yourself on, you need to know that your vote matters and the outcome of our elections are not manoeuvred and manipulated.”
“In Texas, Georgia and Florida, and 44 other states, there’s a radical wing of the Republican Party that is actively dismantling America’s right to vote because they don’t have the numbers to win otherwise,” she said.
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The “Hunger Games” star accused politicians of “gerrymandering,” “shutting down hundreds of voting facilities within reach of minorities,” and specifically targeting people of colour.
“This is cheating and not democracy,” she said. She spoke in favour of the For the People Act, which is also known as S1.
“There’s a law in the Senate right now called the ‘For the People Act’ and it can reverse these anti-voting laws and it can stop billionaires from being able to buy our elections,” she said. “It even says that all voting machines need to be made here in the US. But it’s going to take a lot of pressure from us to get it to pass.”
She urged all the viewers to contact their respective senators with the help of RepresentUs.
The Passengers actor said: “Let the politicians bicker and throw tantrums, let’s just make sure they remember who they work for.”
For the People Act was passed by the House of Representatives in March 2020. According to the Brennan Center for Justice, the legislation makes it “easier to vote in federal elections, end congressional gerrymandering, overhaul federal campaign finance laws, increase safeguards against foreign interference and strengthen government ethics rules.”
In May 2020, President Joe Biden blasted a bill in Texas’s state legislature that would severely limit voting rights in the state.
He called the Texas legislation “wrong and un-American” and said: “In the 21st century, we should be making it easier, not harder, for every eligible voter to vote.”
“It’s part of an assault on democracy that we’ve seen far too often this year – and often disproportionately targeting Black and brown Americans,” the president added.
He also urged congressional Democrats to pass national legislation that could potentially override state laws like the one being formed in Texas.
“I call again on Congress to pass the For the People Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act,” Mr Biden said. “And I continue to call on all Americans, of every party and persuasion, to stand up for our democracy and protect the right to vote and the integrity of our elections.”
The Independent
