By Senator Marco Rubio
President Joe Biden and the Democratic leadership believe America is on the brink of collapse. Not because of the economy. Not because of worker shortages. Not because of outsourcing to China. No, with Democrats in control of both Congress and the White House, they believe our republic is one step away from becoming a right-wing authoritarian regime.
Their response is to orchestrate a narrowly partisan power grab by ramming through a federal takeover of American elections. They claim their effort is about protecting voting rights. But the truth is that it’s simply a desperate attempt to help left-wing politicians win more elections.
Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) said the effort to remove election administration powers from states like Florida was necessary “to protect the foundation of our democracy … free and fair elections.” He also called state-level election integrity laws “antidemocratic poison” that must be stopped at all costs.
Statements like these are nothing more than political theater. Biden, Schumer, and Democrats like Stacey Abrams act as though we’ve returned to the 1960s. In reality, it’s now easier to vote than it ever has been. Voter registration is simple and widely accessible, and Americans of all demographic backgrounds are voting in record numbers.
Moreover, state governments are perfectly capable of overseeing elections. Florida conducted the 2020 elections with an outstanding degree of order and integrity, despite the craziness sweeping other parts of the nation, while also under the COVID-19 pandemic. Our example is proof that solid leadership at the state level is more than enough to see our country through even the most challenging election seasons.
There are no good reasons for the federal government to hijack our election system, only bad ones.
Leftists like Biden, Schumer, and Abrams believe that if they eliminate all election safeguards—voter ID requirements, commonsense protections on mail-in voting, prohibitions against ballot harvesting, and reasonable timeframes for registration verification—they will win more elections. That is a recipe for chaos more than anything else, and it will do absolutely nothing to protect Americans’ rights.
Democrats also believe that if Washington can hijack the responsibilities of states like Florida, they will have more leverage to push through their narrowly partisan agenda. It is a gross abuse of power, and one that will be applauded by their enablers in the legacy media.
The Leftist fringe that is overrepresented in our government and media can’t stand dissent. That is why they censor voices on social media. And it is why they are trying to destroy state-level election laws that express a refusal to toe the progressive line.
The real threat to America is not that we morph into some right-wing authoritarian regime. No, the real threat is that Americans who aren’t on board with the Left’s radical agenda are silenced, canceled, and exiled. Those are the stakes, and every American needs to understand them before it is too late.
Senator Marco Rubio is the senior senator from Florida and sits on the Committee on Foreign Relations, Select Committee on Intelligence, Committee on Appropriations, and the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship.
