McConnell against voting day holiday

[someoneyouknow]

HR 1, the first bill proposed by Democrats who control the House, would make election day a holiday for federal workers. This would allow more people the opportunity to vote and would satisfy those who keep asking why we don't get a day off to vote. The bill says election day would be a holiday for government employees, but it would encourage private industry to do the same.

Except Mitch McConnell doesn't want this to happen. It is his belief allowing federal workers all the opportunity in the world to vote is simply a power grab by Democrats. Or, put another way, he's afraid if more people vote, Republicans might not be voted into office.

It's odd to hear Mitch talk about power grabs when Republicans in several states furiously passed legislation weakening the powers of incoming Democratic governors even though they had no problem with the power hungry Republican governor. Or that time when Republicans took control of the House and Senate and worked to undo common sense environmental protection and financial protection for citizens. Odd how that works.

So the next time someone asks why we don't have a day off to vote, thank Mitch.

https://www.marketwatch.com/story/mcconnell-slams-election-day-holiday-proposal-as-power-grab-by-democrats-2019-01-30

https://www.marketwatch.com/story/mcconnell-promises-democrats-wont-succeed-in-creating-election-day-national-holiday-2019-01-30

 

[KeithD]

I have to say that giving Americans the day off to vote doesn't mean they'll use it to vote.

 

[sharingfantasies]

Is this for every election day, primaries, special elections, etc. or is it only for the presidential election?

 

[someoneyouknow]

Is this for every election day, primaries, special elections, etc. or is it only for the presidential election?

The words of the bill itself:

SEC. 1903. Election Day holiday.

(a) Treatment of Election Day in same manner as legal public holiday for purposes of Federal employment.—For purposes of any law relating to Federal employment, the Tuesday next after the first Monday in November in 2020 and each even-numbered year thereafter shall be treated in the same manner as a legal public holiday described in section 6103 of title 5, United States Code.​

So only the general election, every other year.

https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-bill/1/text#toc-HFE7ED7A642574DBDB81601F7461787FB