Dem. Rep. Clyburn Walks Back Voter ID Criticism: ‘Absolutely’ Open to It After Filibuster Failure

Libby | July 6, 2021
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Despite slamming voter ID laws in the past, Rep. James Clyburn (D-S.C.) now says he was always for it.

“We are always for voter ID,” he told CNN’s Dana Bash on “State of the Union.” “We are never for disproportionate voter ID.”

Clyburn added, “I don’t know of a single person who is against ID’ing themselves when they go to vote."

The member of Democratic House leadership previously dubbed voter ID laws “voter suppression” in a tweet back in October 2020.

Clyburn’s hypocrisy comes after Senate Republicans blocked the For the People Act, the progressive and partisan voting bill, to which Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) has proposed a compromise.

Now, Clyburn said he is “absolutely” open to Manchin’s said compromise proposal that includes voter ID after previously being against such a compromise, Fox News reported.

Manchin, considered a moderate Democrat, was unwilling to abolish the filibuster in aim of pushing through the partisan bills with the hope of forcing both Republicans and Democrats to the table to compromise.

Though the Democrats have claimed that voter ID laws are a means to suppress voters, the requirement is widely popular among Americans.

A recent Monmouth poll indicates that 81 percent of Americans favor a voter ID requirement, according to Forbes.

Even among Democrats, a 62 percent majority support voter ID, perhaps contributing to why Clyburn is suddenly a fan.

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