Pat Toomey’s chosen presidential candidate, Donald Trump, is making a pit stop in Philadelphia today to try and do something — anything — about getting zero percent of African American support in the latest polls.
While Trump might out-gun Toomey in the “offensive, racist” category, Toomey’s policies are just as harmful for African Americans.
Throughout his career, Pat Toomey has tried to make it harder for people to vote. He supported Pennsylvania’s strict voter ID legislation that would’ve put onerous restrictions on minority, elderly, poor, and young voters. The kicker: A judge said the law could arguably be unconstitutional and put it on hold.
Why does Pat Toomey continue to hurt African Americans with his policies? He’s no better than Donald Trump.
Toomey: Wrong On Voting Rights
- Toomey supported voter ID policies.
- Toomey voted against the Help America Vote Act.
Help America Vote Act
2002: Toomey Voted Against Enacting Federal Election Administration Standards, Providing Federal Funding For State Election Improvement, And Creating The Election Assistance Commission. In October 2002, Toomey voted against a bill that, according to Congressional Quarterly, “overhaul[ed] the nation’s election procedures by authorizing $3.9 billion in federal funds to states over three years to improve the administration of elections and help states meet nationwide voting standards. The agreement include[d] authorizing $325 million in one-time payments for states to replace or upgrade punch card voting machines. It establish[ed] an Election Assistance Commission to serve as a clearinghouse for information, promulgate additional voluntary standards, carry out state grant programs, and administer a certification system that require[d] states to meet minimum federal elections standards and anti-fraud requirements.” The House adopted the conference report on the bill by a vote of 357 to 48. After the Senate adopted the conference report, it was sent to the president, who signed it into law. [House Vote 462, 10/10/02; Congressional Quarterly, 10/10/02; Congressional Actions, H.R. 3295]
2002: Toomey Voted Against Requiring Individuals To Prove Their Identity Upon Registration And Require States To Let Voters Verify Their Votes. In October 2002, Toomey voted against a bill that, according to Congressional Quarterly, would as of 2004, “require[d] states to let voters verify and, if wrong, change their votes before casting a final ballot and to provide for provisional voting when eligibility is in doubt. It also would require individuals to prove their identity when registering to vote. Also, first-time voters who registered through the mail must prove their identity prior to voting.” [House Vote 462, 10/10/02; Congressional Quarterly, 10/10/02; Congressional Actions, H.R. 3295]
Voter ID
2013: Toomey Voted To Support Requiring A Photo ID To Vote In Federal Elections. In March 2013, Toomey voted to support requiring Americans to show a photo ID to vote in federal elections. According to a press release from Sen. David Vitter, “U.S. Senator David Vitter (R-La.) today offered an amendment to the Senate budget resolution to require a valid government-issued photographic ID to vote in a federal election.” According to the Congressional Record, the purpose of the amendment was to “establish a deficit-neutral reserve fund to ensure election integrity by requiring a valid government-issued photographic ID for voting in federal elections.” The Senate rejected the amendment by a vote of 44 to 54. [Senate Vote 83, 3/23/13; Congressional Record, 3/22/13; David Vitter Press Release, 3/22/13]
Toomey Defended Pennsylvania’s Voter ID Law
2012: Toomey Defended Pennsylvania’s Voter ID Law. According to Election 2012 by the Washington Post, “Sen. Pat Toomey (R) defended his state’s controversial voter ID legislation, telling the Washington Post that critics who claim the law disenfranchises voters without the proper photo ID cards are misguided. ‘The law makes it easy for someone to get an ID,’ he said. ‘It’s going to be easy for anybody who wants to vote, as it should be. But it’s going to be a little bit harder for the system to lose integrity.’” [Washington Post, Election 2012, 8/30/12]
- 2012 Pennsylvanian Voter ID Law Required State-Approved Photo Identification In Order To Vote. According to the New York Times, “A Pennsylvania judge on Tuesday blocked the key component of a highly contested state law requiring strict photographic identification to vote in next month’s election, saying the authorities had not done enough to ensure that voters had access to the new documents. The result, that Pennsylvanians will not have to present a state-approved ID to vote in November, was the latest and most significant in a series of legal victories for those opposed to laws that they charge would limit access to polls in this presidential election.” [New York Times, 10/2/12]
- A Pennsylvania Judge Blocked The Photo Identification Section Of The Law Because Authorities Had Not Done Enough To Make Sure Voters Had Access To The Required Documents. According to the New York Times, “A Pennsylvania judgeon Tuesday blocked the key component of a highly contested state law requiring strict photographic identification to vote in next month’s election, saying the authorities had not done enough to ensure that voters had access to the new documents. The result, that Pennsylvanians will not have to present a state-approved ID to vote in November, was the latest and most significant in a series of legal victories for those opposed to laws that they charge would limit access to polls in this presidential election.” [New York Times, 10/2/12]
Toomey Believed That Voter ID Laws Did Not Disenfranchise Voters
Video: Toomey Claimed Voter ID Laws Did Not Disenfranchise Voters. In an interview with the Washington Post, Pat Toomey said, “QUESTIONER: Can you talk a little bit about the voter ID laws? Democrats have said this would be a way to suppress voters’ rights and older people and minorities and other people. What’s your sense? TOOMEY: Yeah, well it’s not true. The fact is, this is designed to make it very, very easy for someone who doesn’t already have an ID, and of course a vast majority of people do, but there are some who don’t, and so the law makes it easy for someone to get an ID and if you don’t have one on election day, you can still cast a provisional ballot and then demonstrate that you are who you say you are within a reasonable time period thereafter. But there’s many different forms of ID that work, the state government is setting up offices, has set up offices all over the state to allow someone to obtain an ID for the purpose of voting at no charge whatsoever, so it’s going to be easy for anybody who wants to, to vote, as it should be, but it’s going to be a little bit harder for the system to lose integrity, and that’s important.” [Pat Toomey, Washington Post interview, uploaded to YouTube 8/30/12]
Published: Sep 2, 2016