Transcripts For CSPAN Washington This Week 20160618

Unfair for the people who come at the end of the discussions because they do not have a their testimony. I thank you to please keep comments to a limited three minutes. Started, i would like to ask all of the drafting Committee Members to introduce themselves. I tell you, i say it is an honor and pleasure to serve with these ladies and gentlemen from across , a verytry compassionate and Brilliant Group of people who are trying to synchronize the problems that our constituents are going through, the issues that are. Acing americans because we great pleasure to let them introduce themselves briefly. Thank you very much. And the policy director for senator Bernie Sanders. I am a member of the toledo tribe. I am Bonnie Schaeffer from North Carolina and florida. Im honored to be on this committee. Fromd Luis Gutierrez chicago and i want to say hi to all my friends in phoenix, arizona. Cornell west. Teacher and citizen. Tandon neera tanden. Wendy sherman. President of the arabamerican institute. Carol browner. Member of congress from minnesota. American federation of state, county, and community employees. Barbara lee, member of congress. Joe mcgivern of vermont. Policy adviser to Hillary Clinton. Cummings i think we got everybody. And pleased to reconvene with these the commerce individuals to continue the hearing testimony today. As i did yesterday, i will note that Howard Berman is not able to join us. Just as alicia reece is not able to join us today. Sitting with us are andrew and. Atrice finally, and pleased to introduce our parliamentarian helen. Helen is the dnc parliamentarian and has served in this role for many years and can help us navigate any parliamentary issues that may arise. Today, helen will be serving as our timekeeper and will help us stay on schedule. The person who is head of the convention, who we could not do without, who is truly a superstar, reverend dr. Doctrine. You want to se say a few words . And theo say to leah entire staff, we cannot thank you enough for all you have done. Thank the hotel staff. They have been absolutely wonderful. Thank you very much. As we move into protecting and expanding our democracy, we will hear recommendations and concerns for ensuring all americans are treated fairly. And that each man and woman camper to escape in our great democracy. Among what is needed are reforms to address Voting Rights. Our speech will address how democrats can tackle those concerns and how to make democracy work for everyone. Our first beaker is stephen lewis. Governor, welcome, and thank you. Hear from the indian river , good morning. Good morning to the Platform Committee and everyone assembled here. It is an honor to be here. Chairman, it is an honor to be in front of as a former bashful player, and i nor president and chief is a basketball player as well and we are in the midst of the nba finals. It is almost like having a ticket to attend the Democratic Partys version of the allstar game here. [laughter] [applause] im very happy to be here. Even though i am a phoenix suns fan, we have a lot to build. It is an honor. Good morning, everyone. My remarkse to start by emphasizing how proud i am to be a democrat. Toa tribal leader, and need focus my attention on a comp shingles for my citizens. As i watched what happened in orlando last week in and the sentiments expressed by politicians and people, i felt proud that the leaders of our Party Immediately expressed sympathy and support for the victims. We may differ in religious police, sexual orientation, ethnicity, but we respect each other as humans. Today, im here to make sure that my own community, the native american community, is included in the democratic platform. Like other communities of color, we have distinctive cultures and traditions, but we are fundamentally unique in that we governmentolitical in a relationship with the United States. The democratic platform should include as as a community of color but also as the government and the responsibility of us as governments. The Democratic Party has been steadfast in supporting our right to vote in elections. Within my own community, we consult a struggle to make sure the records are accurate, and accesscessary, we have to provisional ballots. States and local governments should be required to coordinate with the federal government prior to election to make sure this is the are properly identified on our records. The creation stories, customs, and traditions embodied the need to preserve them for future generations, are seven generations, as tribal governments, we have to balance building opportunities for hope, but also multigenerational approaches as well. Too often, native americans are left out of Renewable Energy programs which makes no sense when the department of energy finds that when energized wind energy from reservations could power 70 of the country. Tribal communities need to be included. Tribal committees, more so than any other community, are impacted by Climate Change. Some alaskan communities are having to relocate. Some native American Communities in the northeast Climate Change is changing the entire ecosystem. Climate change is causing drought in my region and across the west. As congress and the federal government are dialoguing to find out how to address the problem, tribal governments are. Ot given a seat at the table we must have a seat at this table. Have the highest rates of diabetes in the world. Our is due to the theft of water in the last century. As a result, weve lost access to our traditional foods and diets. Government response was to give is highly processed foods. Too often we have to spend time reacting to Critical Health and safety problems that are unintended consequences of federal policies. That is why we need to be part of the dialogue, as well as developing solutions. Given the Significant Impact that federal and state policies can have on communities and their legal rights, i respectfully ask that this committee consider including a section in the platform specifically addressing the rights of tribal governments, our unique relationship with the federal government. Thank you for considering my comments. [applause] governor, you said we must have a seat at the table. I guarantee, you have a seat at the table. Thank you. And seeing ms. Deborah parker, i really appreciate it. Rep. Cumming i was talking with her yesterday that, just listening to her questions, and the discussion have helped me german is the in educating me. Im sure other members on the issues that confront your publisher. It is indeed an honor to serve at this level was so many heroes here. Movers and shakers, progressive people. Its an honor to be here with such distinguished representatives and leaders. Once again, thank you for having us here. Is we have for you northwest tribes, eastern tribes, southern tribes, tribes from all different regions with link which is, customs, issues in your region, water is a big issue, energy resources. You have the sun, which in the northwest, we dont. You may want to visit us to cool down. Looking at all of these issues, and try to work on a platform for native american nations, what to see as the top issue . What do you see as the most critical issue facing Indian Country . Country, it all begins with sovereignty, with government to government relationships moving forward. Of course, we will have a changing of administrations. Hopefully it will be a Democratic Administration moving forward. We need to have that continued commitment to this concept of sovereignty articulated in the constitution. Also within u. S. Policy. We need to have true , a positive,ation not paternalistic working relationship with the government. Under health and human services, we get, as you know, most of our federal health care resources. Tribes need to have that support moving forward, a True Partnership reflective of this sovereignty. Rep. Cumming one more question. Thank you for your presentation. Im from minnesota. Nativevery proud of our communities there. In 2012, we had kind of an ugly incident where some republican challengers would go on to the reservation and gr gratuitously challenge native American Voters and say they didnt have the right credentials and they would prove that they did. They were found to be a nuisance , but not before they intimidated a lot of voters. Phenomenon at nationsions about . Ackle have a states that significant native american population, you are seeing that dynamic. Photo suppression. States that are hostile towards expanding the right to vote. Say, is groundd zero as well. We have a federal lawsuit pending in regards to native american rights moving forward. Because we have the Navajo Nation which is the largest Navajo Nation in the United States. Spends three states. We have seen some very strident Voter Suppression. Thank you very much for your on Climate Change. Theres no question that the emergence of indigenous has been may be the single most important part of the growth of that movement. Andoth sides of the border america, all sides of the border. Many thanks for that advocacy and witness. We would not have stopped anything. The keystone pipeline, or anything else. [applause] as you were talking, i could not help but think we have to keep these coalitions going. There are a lot of people that find themselves in the same say,tion with regard to, Voting Rights. It is coalitions working together that will make the difference. Thank you. You have a major seat at the table now. Thank you, mr. Chair. We wont Work Together in a very manner with thet Democratic Party moving forward. Historically, native americans have voted democrat, and we will continue to do so. We have great leadership Going Forward and native americans running for Public Office nationally as well. Rep. Cumming thank you very much. Rob moses was the student nonviolent coordinating committees hill director field director. He was instrumental in the formation of the mississippi freedom Democratic Party. Dr. Moses taught math for a time and used the school as a Laboratory School for the project methods. Sir, it is an honor. Thank you for being with us. [applause] thank you. I will to start right here. In march 1963, a field secretary for the student nonviolent coordinating committee, i testified in the court of judge clayton in greenville, mississippi. Was from the u. S. Department of justice. A few months earlier, jimmy travis, randolph blackwell, and myself were stopped on the highway. Jimmy, driving, put a bullet in his neck. Food and told to theto march with sncc courthouse. From the witness stand, i stood at the bust stop in greenwood while attending to judge claytons constitutional question. Why is sncc taking illiterates down to vote . Nation cannot have its cake and eat it too. It cannot use politics to deny black people ask us to literacy, and then turn around and say they cannot do politics because they are illiterate. Today, more than 50 years later, a contemporary sncc action might provoke a temporary constitutional question. Why is sncc taking convicted felons down to register to vote . District963 federal court, and 21st century america, three sets of constitutional combatants engage each other in a power struggle for the right to vote and the right to equality Public School education. Andral power, state power, people power. Three powers which have struggled with each other across each of three constitutional as. Or each has a distinctive badge. We can see this in the state of young black men. 17871862. In the first constitutional era, young black men are africans and constitutional property. Too valuable to lynch a lockup. 18751941, in the second constitutional era, southern young lachmantoo valuable to ly. Are secondclass citizens rounded up by the tens of thousands for peonage and shackled to work for coal mines. ,n the third constitutional era mass incarceration fueled by president nixons determination anr the war on drugs fied by the clinton and Obama Administration decimated the black electorate. Author ofatic party, all three devastations, cannot claim innocence. It is not permissible that the authors of devastation should also be innocent. Innocent which constitutes the crime. The said, we are calling on national Democratic Party to address some fundamental questions. Who are the constitutional people . What does it mean to be a constitutional person in the United States of america . 1820, at the center ,f the first constitutional era Thomas Jefferson wrote this about slavery. Is, we had the wolf by the ear, and we can either neither hold him or safely let him go, justice is in one scale and self app preservation in the other. In that era, democrats confiscated lands and wrote the wolf of slavery. Inspired a africans revolutionary Peoples Movement to destroy the wolf of slavery, pushing Abraham Lincoln to begin speech8 house divided with reflections on the two letter word that, in this election cycle, continues to confound this nation. If we could first know where we are, and whether we are tending, we could better judge what to do and how to do it. Not, lincoln could construct a we. The nation fractured and dissent is in to war. It took its own sweet time, but democrats fractured over the same two letter word when, one century after the freedom war, the mississippi freedom Democratic Party pushed the national Democratic Party to cleanse itself from the politics of white supremacy. From the right state. A senator from massachusetts who helps craft the reconstruction amendments and laws to enforce them stated the case. , the state ofhows mississippi at present, under control of political organizations controlled largely by armed men whose common purpose is to establish and maintain, by axa violence, fraud, and murder. The supremacy of the white lying democrats. Decade after the civil war. Launchedratic party the nation into jim crow and slavery by another name. Initiated and ,ustained a sit in movement took a across alabama and into mississippi was freedom rides, and settled across mississippi and the black belt to earn insurgency for the right to vote. They acted as constitutional nation,citizens of the in defiance of the confederate narrative and ideas that human rights depended on something as shaky as the laws of the confederate states, a notion as absurd as slavery itself. They enacted the peoples narrative of story involving guarantees of National Citizenship and National Protection of citizens rights. In this, our third , the question era remains, who are the constitutional people and what does it mean to be a constitutional person in the United States of america . For those who file for the reconstruction of amendment thought they were guaranteed a guaranteeing the right to vote for all citizens. That has been undermined by this Democratic Party. In 1963, a judge with the fifth circuit of appeals had this to federalt the movable troops from the south. These events foreshadowed the lily white primary in march and marked the Democratic Party in the south as the institutionalized incarnation of the will to light the privacy. In shelby county, chief justice confederateated a narrative of states rights over of peoples narrative of universal citizenship, providing a facade for the contemporary will to white supremacy. To reinforce the purpose of the reconstruction amendments and to ensure that all of us citizens, including incarcerated persons have full political rights, the sncc legacy project and all of us committed to insurgencies of people power champion, in opposition to chief justice roberts, a peoples narrative. That the nation project both slavery and its assault on human to give and alter it the federal government power to. Rotect the peoples rights we asked that the national Democratic Party take a revolutionary stance, confirm the right to vote, and make it explicit. Adopting in your platform the following statement. The national Democratic Party agrees to work for the following. Oting rights resolution section one, the peoples right to representation being necessary tarp republican form of government. The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be infringed. Section two, the federal branches of government shall protect this right. Thank you. [applause] rep. Cumming moses, i want to thank you for being here. We will hear from cornell west in a minute. Let me just say this. We really appreciate you being here. And other forms, ive said to the panel, this is a moment, and momentgant committee, a to gather fingerprints for the future of america. Theres a methinks you could be doing, and you are here, trying to make sure we move towards a more perfect union. It is a shame that we have to keep fighting the same fights over and over again. Thank you for being a soldier in the army for the more perfect union. [applause] mr. West our dear brother mr. Moses constitutes a high level ac excellence, one of the first black people to get a phd from harvard, but also great sensitivity to public life. That is what the legacy of of a baker and others are like. Dynamic people. My question has to do with the for theable challenge party and also the platform drafting committee. When you talk about peoples power. You talk about the grounds upon which every day people struggling for lifes with decency are to have trust with the Democratic Party, given the history laid out, even the recent history, complicity in underminingration, welfare rights of everyday people, the relationship of what you have done historically and continue to do in mississippi and the black lives matter are the grounds, in your own mind, for having trust in the Democratic Party, given where we are in the present . Mr. Moses to be truthful, the only grounds, for me, are actually what i think of as earned insurgencies that come from the bottom up. I think we have to earn our. Nsurgencies in this country that was our experience in mississippi. We had to earn it in three different ways. First, we had to earn from the sharecroppers and the farmers that we were working with, their it really simple. Every time we got knocked down, we had to stand back up. Finally, they decided that we meant what we were saying. We also had to earn something from the national government. You remember the 1957 civil rights act. The majority leader, johnson, and eisenhower was president. That set up the Civil Rights Division of the Justice Department. Thatact was about the idea tuskegee professors, who qualify under any standard, should be allowed to vote. They did not have sncc in mind. They put in it that anyone acting on behalf of the people trying to vote, states could not arrest that. Little whate sncc a i call legal crawlspace. It enabled us to do the work on the ground so every time the state of mississippi locked of up, the Justice Department came and got us out. We had to earn the trust. It did not say that we were required to do that. They were permitted to do that. We had to earn the right to be people that they would go back for. Then, we had the right to call on the country to come take a look at itself. We had the right to earn the right to call on College Students from all over the in face ofcome down danger. As you know, three of them were murdered that summer. We had to earn the right to do that. , earned in this country insurgencies. That is what it will take, i think, to get the political parties, including the Democratic Party, up and moving on these issues. Thank you very much. Thank you for being here today and for your testimony and putting our party in this movement in context. Often times we forget the historical reasons for why we are here and how we got here. I have to personally thank you and what you have done to just paint the way for myself and others getting elected in Public Office. Had it not been for yourself and all of those in the movement, we would have never been elected. Thank you very much. To ask you, ast a democrat, a progressive democrat, who embraces many of our movements on the outside the dreamers, the black lives matters movement, all the movement emerging how do we make sure our party embraces these movements and make sure that we are held accountable to the Justice Movement and what we countrydo to become a worthy of the future. Mr. Moses it would be really the pointi think sncc legacy is trying to bring together people involved in those movements and get people from the progressive wing of the Democratic Party involved. Of thed the voices people actually doing the work at the table. Rep. Cumming i want to thank you so much for being with us. Thank you for passing the baton my mother, who is 89, says that she is passing on the baton, but dont drop it. I promise you, we will not drop it is very much. Drop it. Thank you very much. [applause] Patricia Arquette. Is an actress from chicago, illinois and has jarred acclaimed critically films, including boyhood. She has used her platform to raise more awareness of gender jessica issues during knew equality issues. Jessica is author of equal means equal why the time for the era is now. She is also a founder of equality now. Let me remind the members of the committee that we will be losing some members early. We will have to move along. I want members to have as much of an opportunity to hear as much testimony as possible. Ms. Arquette . Ms. Arquette thank you for lying me to be here to testify movement three we are standing on the bricks of history with the possibility of , evenng a female leader though she will not have all constitutional freedom because she was born female. To quote justice scalia, certainly the cost to should does not require discrimination on the basis of sex, the question is whether it prohibits it. It does not. We see that impacting Critical Court decisions. Women have teeth will legislation depending on who is in power at any given time, legislation that is again and again dismantled and rendered ineffective like the violence against women act which initially gave women the federal remedy for genderbased violence. This law was struck down by the u. S. Supreme courte in a Campus Sexual Assault victim tried to use it. We also see glaring injustice and state laws. In louisiana, for instance, dnan are not given a free kit to convict her rapist. Or, in massachusetts were women have to appeal every six months to make sure that their dna friend evidence is not destroyed while they are waiting for prosecution. Even build a statue of limitations for rape in that state is 15 years. , this isrdship reserved for rape victims, who are largely women. Even though our brothers are in utah, a rape handrape has a 45 percent of his case being processed and female victims of rape. Tok, im all victims of rape have their kids process, regardless of sex. What were looking at here is a clear example of unconscious gender bias and how women are treated as subhuman. We have has hundreds of thousands of processed rape kits languishing on shelves across the nation. There are states that do not know where or how many untested kits they have. At best, this is unconscious bias, and at worst, it is genderbased criminal neglect. Even when women do get through the courthouse doors, the wheels justice are still frozen for them. The wonderful justice in the isent stanford rape case sadly not an anomaly, it is the door. We need to examine this, as well as writers not Adequate Funding for other areas that largely affect women. Womenrica, we have 10,000 and children turned away from Domestic Abuse services daily. That is 3. 5 million women and kids a year. Is funding an adequate cha t and adequate . I will tell you why. Women do not hold the same value in our society. Women in america do not have constitutional equality. They have National Rights and therefore, partial justice. We have had wifes red gender bias at play and it will not the remedy with anything short of equal rights amendment. It would ensure that womens rights are not left in a gray area or to the mercy of state laws, some of which are weaker than others. Why should women in one state have different rights than in another . Regardlessld be there should be equal rights, regardless of what state they live in. Discrimination against women has im sorry. D worthy federal court should not be able to judge womens rights by a lower standard of review. Legally, morally, and ethically, the truth is, this nation has turned a blind eye to widespread gender bias. Economically, women have historically been discriminated against. Look at the case of Lilly Ledbetter in which congress had to overturn the Supreme Court decision with legislation to make sure that when women win equal pay claims, they can get the pay the a word tonight. Ruth bader jim britt said, the court does not apprehend the way can bemen discriminated against. The is not 1787, when constitution was drafted. Today, we have aliens of women as sole breadwinners. Women and children living in poverty in the United States who would not be if women were paid the full dollar. Womenmedy is to give every fair legal tool to outine, challenge, and tear historic bias at its roots. Once and for all, dont women to rights ineserve full america . When you have the protection that a constitutional amendment affords you, you have more likely of winning likelihood of winning cases. Women need this framework. Without the era, women are left to the mercy of courts and politicians, both state and federal, who often do little or. Othing for gender justice equal means equal or it Means Nothing at all. . Hat is the era a few simple words. Equal rights under the law will abridged by any state. Is that really a principle to anyone can oppose . New poll, 90 a of americans say they would support an amendment to the constitution that supports equal rights for both men and women. Im appealing for you to not just put this in your platform or sign your name to bills that are never taken to the floor for a vote, im asking you to prioritize it and take action to much and long needed change to help women finally have equal rights in full protection under the law of the United States of america. It is time to rise up and include women in the promise for justice for all. [applause] rep. Cumming did you have a statement . I would like to elaborate on the poll cap Patricia Arquette mentioned. It constitutions that we do not have in ours. In a day and age where we have women locked up and being burned in cages in other countries, i think Important Message is to say, women in the United States matter. It is a gross miscarriage of a method. Rep. Cumming we are better than that. I hope we are. I want to tag on to what might colleagues said, i am old weugh i remember vividly tried to move this forward and have not been able to get the job done. I think it is in part because itople assume that exist exists. Also, getting a constitutional amendment through the senate has been very very typical as you rightly pointed out, when we are way behind so much of the rest of the world it is because the comes to the floor for a disabilities treaty and the republican cannot get it done it it is to how important it that we not only have a democratic president , by democratic senate. [applause] frankly, i have been in. Ashington a lot someone said to me, women are not hot. We are constantly being it referenced are we beautiful, hot, not hot . We to not matter at all, and neither do our issues. I did not even get to talk about women in california who were made to sign papers while they were giving birth, and they were given hysterectomies without the consent in the United States of america. I want to ask you very are policies in the United States that stand out as being separate and apart from the rest of the world that happened to affect women. The United States is the only country in the world that does not have a leave policy. Other countries invest a lot more in childcare. I wanted to ask you, do you think that if we looked at the e. R. A. And other policies around these issues it will also build support for some of these economic discrepancies that women are facing. Ms. Arquette i really do. It would give us a different scrutiny to examine these things and look them once and for all. If youre looking at 118 years for women to be paid fairly, we need to make a radical change. We know the way we have been doing it has not been working. We need to give women every to examinethey need these issues. There are some pregnancy provisions, but they are not working. A woman can still be fired for going to the bathroom too often when she is pregnant or carrying a water bottle. It is crazy and the things happening to women are not excusable. Everyone who has some power can make their voice heard right now. I dont know is the Democratic Party the Peoples Party or is it not . Or as if the mel Peoples Party . I think it is time for them to step up the game and make a change for america. Poverty has a lot to do for with women, child hunger. We have one in five hundred children in america. Many of them have single moms. What can we do with this just with the highest growing group of incarcerated people are women. Often when a woman has to do defend her life in a Domestic Abuse situation, she gets 26 years for the crime of defending her own life. We have to look at this fairly. We have so much bias in this country. I just want to thank you. As a native American Woman and native american survivor there is so much work to do. I think you for your courage. I know we lack a lot of time. This should be at least a full day on this issue alone. I know many of us i believe all of us here are committed to improving the platform, especially for women and those who are disenfranchised. I just think you. I will send you with one of our Indigenous Women magazines. We are working hard against a mystic violence, sexual assault, dating violence. There is so much work to do. Thanks to people like you, we will make a change. There is no way that so much violence can be here in the United States against women and disenfranchised. I just hope that we can heal this nation as we need to. Thank you so much. Ms. Arquette black women are making . 64 on the dollar. . 55 if weake do not look at the gender pay gap, we will be economically suppressing people of color for a whole another generation besides our whole nation. There will be no game change. We need to do every possible thing we can to close this wage gap situation once and for all. Rep. Cumming thank you very much. [applause] michael is the president of the center for justice at the new law. University school of he is a constitutional lawyer and writer and expert on the presidency and american democracy. I cannot tell you how many times i have quoted the Brennan Center. Thank you mr. Chairman and members of the community of committee for the opportunity to testify on behalf of the Brennan Center to urge the Democratic Party to unambiguously and enthusiastically adopt a pulled agenda. I will talk in particular about aspect of that which is [indiscernible] ok. I will not say it all again except thank you. We strongly encourage you to make bold democracy reform a central policy strategy and agenda for the Democratic Party and the next congress. I will books in particular on voter registration. The nation was founded 240 years ago on the commitment that the government is legitimate only when it rest on the consent of the governed. We have struggled towards that idea ever since. It has been a hard struggle. This party, at its best, has been central to that struggle. As you all 17 states will have new laws to restrict voting on the books for the first time in a president ial election in 2016. The first president ial election in half a century without the full protection of the Voting Rights act. It is the first election feel the full where we force of Citizens United. It is not a surprise the public is engaged and angry and deeply concerned about this. We believe the answers to go on a reformnd adopt agenda to push for the revitalization of these institutions. Otherll hear from witnesses. Restoration of the Voting Rights vote to peopleto with past felony convictions. The most important new breakthrough is automatic voter registration. As h you know, our Voting System is. To full participation. You would be registered to vote unless you choose not to. It would be an extra very change in the way we register voters and it would make a big difference, fully implemented, across the country. It would add 50 Million People to the rolls, it would cost lest and improve accuracy and security. T is a powerful proposal there is tremendous momentum for it. Oregon, california, West Virginia and vermont having acted it. Connecticut two weeks ago an ounce is will do so without waiting for its legislature. Illinois legislature a few days ago send it to the governor for a signature. We are finding it is already working. Oregon, the registration rates for the world month by month since it was enacted. Clinton has put together a strong proposal to register every 18yearold. It came out, we said it was a game changer. The democratic leadership is indicating it will put forth a bill. It should be a priority Going Forward. One last note on strategy. You all have a lot of challenges and goals. You are looking at critical issues, had to how to and massacres nation and im a change and promoting economic equality. All of these challenges will be so much harder to address it we do not fix our broken political system and revitalize our democracy. [applause] all these challenges will be easier to address if we can fully tapped the participatory energies of all the American People. I encourage you to make this not really something you adopt, but something you embrace, that the Democratic Party put the fight for democracy at the center of american policy where it belongs. Thank you. Thank you. A couple of comments as we move forward. One million latinos turn 18 every year. As a party and platform, we need to do something to make sure that when they turn 18 they register to vote. Im only talking about the citizens of the the United States of america. As he expand democracy, we have 8 million permanent residents of the United States. Change theird green card, it is 450. Make a guaranteed. If they want to become a citizen, it is 700. How do you take those 8 Million People and tax them . It is 700 if you want to incorporate yourself into american democracy. We have to talk about how we encourage people. Growing movement. Donald is going to be here today. I have an antidote to donald trump. Facilitate their incorporation. There are many spurs to political dissipation, some are positive and some are not. We might see both this time. Youre absolutely right. If so many of the new laws are crafted to make it harder for new citizens to vote, whether it is the voter id laws that require people to go get there good at the nationalization papers or the effort to demand proof of citizenship to register or vote which is now being pressed across the country. Fights to wage those while we are moving forward. Thank you. Conservative gave an important speech where he said, paraphrasing, he did not want people to vote. In fact, the chances for his agenda to get past went up as the voting as the electorate went down. He is one of the founders of the Heritage Foundation and american plate of exchange cancel counsel. Powerful said that interests on the conservative and have identified Voter Suppression as a strategic goal . Can it be also said that on the democratic side, we have yet to set our intentions to make voter goal . Ion as a strategic we think it is good if it people vote, but we are not actively trying to increase the number of people who vote. I can tell you as a democrat they want us to win, but it is it higher winning percentage rather than canceling saying the wrong number of votes. Is, what doto you you think about my hypothesis . Is it an accident only 36 of people voted in 2014 . What do you think . You are exactly right. Strategicfiercely goal of the moderate movementive moment to enact these laws. Every time conservatives in many instances have gotten so much as a pinky in a lover of power, they have turned to issues of the rules of the game. What is not happen is when ofgressives, democrats similar opportunities, they have worked to strengthen and expand institutions of american democracy. It is important to note that all a lot of these issues, even while there are very intense partisan fights and we are all part of them, seeing them. A comingactually together around some of these. Registration has been passing increasingly with bipartisan majorities in the states because it expands the electorate. It also improves the administration of elections. Ending felony disenfranchisement is something that is about the religious conservatives and Voting Rights activists together. ,hey can be Common Ground recognizing it is inevitably going to be political. You are right. The difference is the democrats have not always emphatically addressed these issues when they have had the chance. It seems our democracy is being hijacked. If you look at all the things you are talking about today, theng, when you look at efforts on the part of republicans to stop the president from presenting his nominee for the Supreme Court, i could go down the line, over and over again, Citizens United, hijacking democracy, youre right we have to have that an offense of defense. [applause] i thank you for the work you do Research Helps us make our arguments and helps a lot of other people. I want to thank everybody and let them know we do listen and read what you put out. You are kind and they are watching. [applause] to ert rice is about because of technical difficulties he is calling in. There will be no questions, all right . Journey as his secretary robert of Public Policy at the university of california. Erkeley, a senior fellow he served as secretary of labor during the Clinton Administration and he is a Founding Editor of the american aspect magazine, chairman of common core, member of the American Academy of arts and sciences, cocreator of the awardwinning documentary equality for all. Thank you very much for being with us. Dr. Rice thank you for giving me the opportunity to be here. Numbers of the committee i very much appreciate the work you are doing. Cannot be there in person and even sorrier we cannot engage in a discussion. Let me just put a couple of ideas and points on the table for your consideration. As many of you know, confidence hasur political process declined considerably. The the klein is decline is money corrupting the process. Voters, 20 9 of by aved government was run few big interests looking out for themselves. By 2013, that opinion had grown to 79 of americans agreeing. Ago, 63 just a year percent thought most members of congress were willing to sell their votes for either cash or a compay contribution and 59. It likely their own or been in already had. I cannot stress to you the importance of not only changing Public Perception but also changing the reasons. Wealthy people contribute to both parties. In 1980 i have shows the amounts of political contributions by the richest , rose faster than their incomes. In 1980, they accounted for 10 of total campaign contributions. In 2012, they accounted for 40 of all contributions to federal elections. One 100th of 1 by income. Stepslly there are three that are most important here. I will not list them in order of importance. Eversing Citizens United i do not support litmus tests for Supreme Court nominee is but i believe the next president should nominate justices committed to reversing Citizens United. , im in favor of seeking amendments, but only by a vote in congress and state legislatures. The convening of a National Convention is something the United States has never done. There are risks of a runaway convention. The second step i think we ought and the Democratic Party ought to be strongly behind his Public Financing of general elections for president and congress. Based on a simple formula. It would be matched dollar for dollar. There would be a 15 checkoff on income taxes. From theimilar process past but we are not gone high enough in terms of government funding. There is no reason it should not be large enough to attract almost every candidate and make it profitable in terms of that todidates viable candidacy opt into that Public Financing program. , a fulld step disclosure while it in campaign funding. Regardless of whether it is passed through nonprofits or through corporate entities or both. Go far enough. Let me, i have about a minute left. I went to suggest to the committee that you put into the pot from the necessity of stopping or slowing the revolving door between government and private industry. It is revolving faster than ever. In the 1970s only 3 of retiring members of congress in recent years it has been half. Presented asng turn to lobbying regardless of party. It helps the road erode public confidence. The revolving door between the white house and treasury is particularly troublesome, streetsy wall political and financial power. A similar twoyear interval between serving as an executive corporation. I recognize reforming our is a large and difficult undertaking. It is especially difficult when income and wealth has been concentrated we did it as a nation under very similar instances in 1901. Those initiatives had sustained impact for many years. I think the Democratic Party if it stands for anything should andd for enriching enlarging voices of average people in the United States. Rather than drowning out those voices. Thank you for your time and what you are doing. I wish we had the ability to communicate. If you have any questions for me, my email address is r rice berkeley. Edu. Thank you very much. That was extremely helpful. By now. Lopez,t witness is linda of heads Los Angeles Office immigrant affairs. Welcome. Linda lopez i and the chief of will talk about the importance of citizenship. Today, there are more than 9 million lawful residents in the United States who are not yet citizens. I think we should do Everything Possible to encourage these individuals to naturalize, to go through the citizenship process and become both pledged members of our vibrant moxie. 9 million more people who could vote, serve on run for elected office and serve our country when needed. We also know from research that naturalized citizens tend to be among the most specifically engaged members of our community t civic engaged members of our community. Many of them waited in line for hours and we were able to process only about 1000 people , 1000 people committed to being part of the fabric of our country. I was fortunate enough to talk to them and ask them why they were taking the step. Many of them have been in the country for more than 15 years. For many it was about the president ial election, wanting their voices to be heard and having a permanent right to be here without fear of deportation. It was an important reminder of why we need to continue to keep the lines of communication open, wideopen. We must continue to create partnerships to ensure that people have access to the resources to become citizens. It takes a village to truly reach people who view this process as complex and cost prohibitive. Example was incredible of why we need to promote citizenship and why it should be integral to the democratic egos. It is about bringing people and and engaging them and inspiring those who have the most to gain tax. Daft to gain, to act. We know the stakes are too high. We have seen that unprecedented submittedapplications , a 20 jump from 2015 to 2016 for the first quarter. We, the Democratic Party, need to build on the momentum. Unfortunately, not everyone understands the importance of. Ecoming a Citizen Research suggests there are many reasons why they delay. , ascost of application mentionedtive or fear the test. We have a long way to go. We have a platform and tools to overcome these barriers. We are the party that breaks down the barriers. I want to quickly share a personal story if you will indulge me. Own father, an emigrant immigrant who came in the 1960s. I asked him, what made him decide to become a citizen . What was it like 30 years ago . To my dismay he responded in , mi hija, noaid he was not a citizen. I was shocked. He completed the application and prepared for the exam 30 years ago and did not become a citizen because he got to the counter and was asked to pay for a fee. He did not have the money and decided he was ok being a green called holder. I share the story because it is the story of many people ive talked to. The story is not unique and raises many questions about the accessibility of citizenship. Hundreds ofstory times and it inspired us to act create accessible programs. To close the gaps in citizenship acquisition, we created an Innovative Program to provide those with financial needs access to loans through local credit unions, Citizenship Resource Center through the library. We have also trained librarians on where to Seek Services for local that from local nonprofits examluding esl classes and preparation. We launched a Historic Campaign to mobilize 100,000 permanent awful residents to attend citizenship workshop. What is needed is Educational Outreach and resources to carry of citizenship. The federaleas government and party can advocate for in the future. We ought to promote a campaign that educates the population about these issues wean filter into every need to create investment in your cell courses to help gain the english like skills they need to thrive. Naturalization more affordable. We need to better coordinate between the federal government, agencies that oversee the citizenship process and policies and state and local agencies. Efforts ie collective know we can play a part in making a real difference in the of immigrants. We are going to have one question but i can tell you, you probably the greatest advocate that you are sitting here with probably the greatest advocate for immigration reform. It is an honor to serve with them. Thank you. Bestt you to give our regards to mayor garcetti and thank him for being a national leader. I want you to make sure you let him know we recognize him. Cummingsthink chairman for his very kind word. Im going to continue to work with you across the country. When i first ran for congress in 56 , my district was latino. We were only 40 of the registered voters. I had to make a decision in 1992 to three kate with nonhispanics. I want to say that 50,000 citizens later, latinos are 60 of the registered voters. Citizenship is eroding rights is a Voting Rights. I want to say thank you again. Thank you so much for all your leadership. Your mobilizing the community and your true leadership has been remarkable. Thank you. Lisa is the senior Legal Advisor for the leadership council. She has championed their theitment to promoting civil rights of all people in the United States. Im delighted to lend a voice of the Leadership Conference to this important endeavor. A diverse membership. It is committed to building in ideals. As good as its the right to vote is not a privilege, it is essential. When american voices are silenced, unable to register because they do not have the required form of identification or they have been purged from the voter rolls or unable to have meaningful representation outside or they live in the district of columbia, our democracy is menaced. It is the third anniversary of the strike against the heart of Voting Rights act. It removed the oversight and transparency requirements. Changeds laws have without Public Notice or scrutiny. There are new statewide voting restrictions for the first time in a president ial election this year. These expanding restrictions, the lack of protection and a rapidly growing electorate have created a perfect storm for voter discrimination. Identifies voter discrimination occurring in states in the aftermath of shelby. Inth carolina, virginia, restrictive voter laws and limits on communitybased registration. Where 60 ofere, the annuity population lives, polling places were cut oto 60. It is 1000 eligible voters per it is to to an thousand eligible voters per 21000 place it is eligible voters per polling place. Most successful congresserts invited to redraft section five and there are two bipartisan proposals. To do that. Refused tohip has consider any legislation. Incredibly the Supreme Courts decision has put at risk the very progress it to the direct and blatant effort to take the vote away from voters of color, there is another insidious effort to restrict the voices of minority voters. The outside influence of big money in campaigns operates to ensure a small number of wealthy donors with special interests have an oversized a voice, potential candidates of color thwarted. Long americans have reviews to see the connection between political contributions and outcomes. Priorities of Congress Women and people of color have a harder time accessing the huge sums it takes to challenge those in power. The size of your paycheck should not impact the volume of your political voice. System is skewed to make sure the rich stay powerful and the powerful state rich. We must decouple economic power Editor Campaign finance systems and insure Campaign Finance systems. Is a national right, not privilege. It is a longer, more arduous journey. Thank you for inviting me to speak before the committee. [applause] donnelly . Thank you. David donnelly has worked 20 years fighting big money in politics. Onhas managed or consulted campaigns. Let me just remind witnesses and members of the committee, again, the longer the statement of the witness means i have to restrict russians. I am begging the witnesses to be short. Thank you. I particularly appreciate the holistic approach to issues of democracy. It is not one silver bullet. It takes a comprehensive approach. Include ae you to proposal to oppose big money in campaigns. Americans want people who look like them to be able to run and serve in office. E new york citys public they have all one on office on limited public funds and small donations. Mark hanna once said there are two important things in politics. The first is money and i cant remember the second. The second is of course the people. Even those of us who remember the second part are often forgetting to talk about it when it comes to the issue of money in politics. They make it complicated by reciting regulations and speak cataclismic terms. The conversation we have in this country about money and politics makes everyday people you like it is nothing to do with them and solutions are too distant. That is wrong. It has everything to do with people and people are beginning to organize and mobilize for change. We create a government in our of, by andvernment for the people, not just the funders of campaigns, all of us. That is the promise of democracy. We strive for a more perfect union, never finished, just more perfect, always marching forward. The good news is there are working concrete policy answers that make democracy more perfect. The better news is that the solutions are popular with americans of all political types. Theyre supported by Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders and the super majority of democratic elected officials in the house and senate. The entire Form Committee is unified in support of a copper has a packet of reforms. A comprehensive package of reforms. Everyone knows who is funding campaigns and everyone plays by common sense rules and everyone is held honorable for bad behavior. Fails tom package that include these popular policies are popular for the same reasons Bernie Sanders donation limit was popular. They say everyone matters in politics and went small donor policies are put to the test, they win by large margins. Last november, 55 of the voters in maine and seattle said yes to small donor programs. Passing this nationally some say is a pipe dream, but we say it is already or soon to be the law of the land in a growing number of cities, counties and states, including arizona. It should be included in a component of a conference of policy, as part of the Democratic National committees platform. The party should adopt and make its was of the time for talk is is over. Working on this issue in other ways, large and small. Thank you for the opportunity. [applause] i would say this to you and zagbi talked about this yesterday, if we listen to all the information, we realize we have a choice no choice but to hold us together and go forward. We know we can create a platform things tocts the very talk about because the large part of what American People are feeling is that they are left out and many of them feel nobody cares. That synchronization of what they mean and want to our platform, we have got to make that happen. Thank you very much. This. Next witness. David . We have a skype presentation, ladies and gentlemen. Judith brown, executive director of the , founded inproject 1999. She has an extensive background in advocacy in voting, education and housing and employment. Welcome. Thank you. And i ams judith brown the executive director of the National Racial Justice Organization advancement project. We exist to the fill americas promise for a more just democracy. It today i would like to outline an attack on democracy. The struggle to secure the right to vote remains a persistent challenge. Over the course of the last several years, we witness to the constant routing of the right to vote. Since the founding of the country, the struggle has been linked to race. Even when games were made, communities of color faced backlash because it means power. Act ng rights take voter ids, as many as 11 of americans, 21 million americans, do not have ids. Nment issued africanamericans, 5. 5 million africanamericans, do not have current government voter id. Of white voting age citizens. 3 million latinos do not have it. Pennsylvania, gop officials admitted their motive was not about voter fraud, it was about winning an election at the expense of the right to vote. One of the most pernicious is the stripping of Voting Rights from formerly individuals. Whole neighborhoods are stripped of political voice as a result. 5. 8 million american citizens are blocked from participating in elections because of these laws. That includes over 2. 5 Million People who are no longer incarcerated. With these laws, as many as 40 of black men are stripped of their right to vote. First election without the full protection of the Voting Rights act. Havef jurisdictions restrictive laws. Our democracy is under attack in ways that imperiled voters of color. S imperative the the dmc must support efforts like those underway in florida and virginia two and felony disenfranchisement that sounds communities ravaged by an unjust system andstice aggressively fight proposals that make it harder to vote like unnecessary voter id laws. We need a constitutional vote. Ent for a right to was americans find it hard to believe that the bill of rights does not guarantee the. Ight of votes it is time to undo the compromise our founders made to protect slavery. Will put polluters over politicians by mandating compelling reasons for voting registration and give those his confidence by th and give the voters confidence. Vote should be tied to National Citizenship, not state citizenship. As you can see by my remarks, we clearly have much to do. I would like to submit further written comments for the record. Thank you very much. Molly, greenpeace. She is the media director at greenpeace, where she has worked since 2008 to reach out to the community and inform them about environmental issues. In the gulf after bp horizon spill. For inviting me. Is a matter of survival. It threatens our health and safety and food and water. Greenpeace has turned to what we identify as one of the root causes of our inability to act on Climate Change, a broken but fixable lyrical system that gives power to a few wealthy individuals and corporations. Caused a crisis in our democracy. The fossil fuel industry will never have the interest of the American People at heart. Exxon has known the danger of Climate Change for 30 years, even as it continues to find politicians to pass fossil fuel legislation. The Koch Brothers will spend over half 1 billion in this election. Voters are concerned about access money can buy. A donor is four times more likely to get a meeting then a regular voter. Nncp, and previous i am asking you to commit to the following. United, theizens Voter Empowerment act, commit to support the government by the people act, small donor empowerment measures that encourage and amplifies small contributions made by everyday americans. To demonstrate the Democrat Party will do what it takes to prevent Climate Change is to show you are above the influence of fossil fuel interests. We are asking for an immediate halt of leasing public land and water for fossil feel extraction fuel extraction. A commitment to hold off the fuel companies responsible for blocking information about credit change. These are necessary for successful candidacy for the president. Reenpeace commissioned a poll focusing on millennials. Big money in politics is one of their top three issues. Young voters want candidates free from the influence of special interests. A plurality of the voters think and ffects publicans republicans and democrats equally. There is a strong appetite for a party to prioritize climate incentives forng candidates to take these steps. The party must act on issues they care about. Each of you has the power to make sure the direction of the party is centered on equal participation and the public good. [applause] thank you very any questions . We hear from wendy. She recently joined the here . Is she the Democracy Initiative is. Edicated to Public Education thank you and welcome. Wendy good afternoon. Let me thank members of the dnc for allowing me to speak on behalf of of 30 million members of the Democracy Initiative. Groups like the sierra club, greenpeace, communication our democracy is under siege. The political system is. Verwhelmed the 59 organizations that united under the democracy bring together was must that we may break free to build a movement sufficiently powerful to create longterm change our democracy requires and constituents demand. Combining the power of organizations that work on money and politics with those who focus on Voting Rights and linking these issues together boost the prospects of winning on both. To not do so would be the equivalent of time one hand. Ehind our back we understand achieving success rights, rights, womens workers rights, racial and equality, are the same issues reported in the platform of this country. Positions on which candidate will run are linked to the victories on core issues, issues of democracy. We are calling for an and on the corrupting influence of corporate money in politics, preventing systematic manipulation and suppression of voters. There are two obvious truths about the increased threat to the fundamental prince pulls of political equity in this country; the rise in systematic disenfranchisement and the rise of big money in american politics. We all know there are comprehensive reforms and fixes that could breeds life into our democracy and none of them work alone. Many came before me and many will come after me. A few highlights, we need strong disclosure laws, nobody should be able to secretly funnel officials. Ected threatld implement conditions of the bipartisan president ial commission to make british ration for voting simple to make registration for voting simple. Need tocitizens we overturn Citizens United and restore the Voting Rights act. The next president of the United States must have the political will to use their political andtal to join with us mobilize millions of americans into a powerful movement that force action on money and politics. We need a propeople, procommunity platform from both political parties. For your efforts to recognize the problem, but what we truly need is action that fixingrates our broken democracy is top priority. We all know the problem and we all know the solution. We know we have a broad Political Force building in this country to create change. Actions are already underway and have been taken in oregon and West Virginia. We are seeing sameday registration and public. Inancing in seattle and maine we are committed to building on the change. What we need now is a major commitment of this next invest in the political will. And to make clear that the official supported by the party will not rest until that is accomplished. I am from michigan and i want to say, representative collins, you must talk about flint. Effortsppreciate your on the recent hearing and say we are better than this and people are demanding better than this. I thank you. There has been quite a bit of mention of flint throughout these proceedings. I will be in michigan on saturday. We will not let that go, we as a party. Thatnnot have a society allows collateral damage. That 10,000a children could be poisoned and until tomorrow, but until they die i just we cannot have that. Were going to keep pushing and pushing hard. Two quick questions. The first one is, what is your position on emergency manager laws . Are these undemocratic . Does the necessity of the moment override considerations of democracy, as some have argued . Term, we have Voter Suppression, we have to change it, i am all for it, but its what should the Democratic Party prioritizingdator voter turnout, even if we are getting blocked in other ways . Should we look at this as a legal matter . Oars there something we can do in the short term . The initiative has no position on emergency manager, but it should be reformed, in my opinion. Lets talk about tax reform. Lets talk about investment. Lets get back to that. So that is my first passionate appeal. What can we do . This is not about litigation. We did not win the civil rights battle on litigation. I think it is very simple. We have to restore faith in government. Bills have to pass. Look, when you knock on a door and tell people they have to vote, they want to say why. It