Rep. Gregory Meeks expressed outrage over North Carolina’s restrictive new voter ID law during an appearance on Andrea Mitchell Reports.
“What country are we talking about?” Meeks asked guest host Peter Alexander on Tuesday. “We cannot possibly be talking about the United States of America…We try to promote democracy, yet it seems to me what we’re trying to do is to take away the right to vote or make it difficult for people to vote in our own country.”
Meeks, a New York Democrat said the law, which contains a strict voter ID requirement and shortens the early voting period, aims to “take away the right to vote.”
“We should be talking about more freedom to vote, making it easier for people to vote, having more voter participation as opposed to less,” Meeks added.
Alexander asked Meeks whether he thought the Obama administration was taking the proper steps to combat these new, stricter voter ID laws, especially since the Supreme Court struck down a central element to the Voting Rights Act in June.
Meeks remained confident that Congress would strengthen the Voting Rights Act by developing new criteria to modernize the law.
“There is progress being made, Meeks said. “I know that there’s members on both sides of the aisle that’s having conversations.”
Meeks said he was hopeful about the future of voting in America.
“We do have a strong democracy and that democracy is based upon on everybody having the ability to vote. We should be making voting easier, not more difficult.”
Cathy Finkler