“She’s been working with Merkley trying to fix them all,” Kaine said, referring to Sen. Jeff Merkley
The For the People Act is a sweeping bill that, among other initiatives aimed at expanding voting, requires states to offer mail-in ballots and a minimum of 15 days of early voting, while calling for online and same-day voter registration.
It also overhauls campaign finance rules, changes the makeup of the Federal Election Commission, imposes new ethics rules for public officials and establishes new requirements on congressional redistricting.
When the bill was written it was largely viewed as a messaging bill, meant to be used to make a political point rather than pass, because Democrats were out of power. But it emerged as a top priority for the party’s base and underscoring its importance, House Democrats gave it its first bill slot — H.R. 1 — when they won back the majority. Senate Democrats followed suit earlier this year.