IM2
Diamond Member
- Mar 11, 2015
- 113,093
- 141,789
- 3,645
If you consider what Republicans want, J,D. Vance could not vote, neither could Melania Knauss.
J.D. Vance has changed his name several times. He was adopted by his stepfather and named James David Hamel. Then he changed his name to J.D. Bowman, and now J.D. Vance. Melania Knauss came here as Melania Knavs, so what name does she have on her citizenship papers?
Earlier today, House Republicans passed their SAVE Act, which they say is for voter integrity and not voter suppression. But, despite the propaganda campaign by Elon Musk and congressional Republicans, this is not about simply requiring a photo ID to vote, which the majority of Americans support. The SAVE Act requires proof of citizenship, meaning only via a passport or birth certificate, not even the Real ID in most states, that requires individuals to attest their citizenship.
What does that mean in practice? It means those who don’t have current passports — Americans who don’t travel abroad, including but not limited to poor people, older Americans who no longer travel and whose passports have expired — will have to get one. What does it cost? It starts at $165 — and that’s without the cost of getting the required photos, travel to a passport office, and other expenses. A passport card, which would also qualify, costs $65 plus the cost of photos.
Birth certificates? I would wager that a whole lot of Americans have no idea where their birth certificates are, and many never had possession of one. A replacement birth certificate can cost $40 or more. But there is another kicker. Tens of millions of American married women took the names of their husbands — and the bill leaves it up to states to decide if their birth certificates will suffice. At minimum, this means uncertainty and for states that don’t make provisions to make it easy to qualify, and many Americans — estimates say 21 million — could be turned away when they go to vote.
It is hard to escape the conclusion that this is about voter suppression more than any assertion of voter integrity, especially because the claims of Musk and the sponsors of the SAVE Act of massive voter fraud by non-citizens, has been debunked over and over, in a slew of studies. They are using their lies about voter fraud to push a bill designed to eliminate the right to vote from people who are likely to vote in a way Republicans don’t like.
contrarian.substack.com
And to further prove what the Republican fascists are trying to do to stay in power.
The U.S. State Department has ordered certain public libraries nationwide to cease processing passport applications, disrupting a long-standing service that librarians say their communities have come to rely on and that has run smoothly for years.
The agency, which regulates U.S. passports, began issuing cease and desist orders to not-for-profit libraries in late fall, informing them they were no longer authorized to participate in the Passport Acceptance Facility program as of Friday.
"We still get calls daily seeking that service," said Cathleen Special, executive director of the Otis Library in Norwich, Connecticut, where passport services were offered for 18 years but ceased in November after receiving the letter. "Our community was so used to us offering this."
A State Department spokesperson said the order was given because federal law and regulations "clearly prohibit non-governmental organizations" from collecting and retaining fees for a passport application. Government-run libraries are not impacted.
The spokesperson did not respond to questions as to why it has become an issue now and exactly how many libraries are impacted by the cease and desist order. In a statement, they said, "passport services has over 7,500 acceptance facilities nationwide and the number of libraries found ineligible makes up less than one percent of our total network."
www.pbs.org
So while they demand proof of citizenship, they are cutting off the places where people can get proof of citizenship.
We no longer live in a Democracy, or Republic. We live in a fascist authoritarian regime controlled by the Republican Party.
You were told this would happen but you fell for the banana in the tailpipe because of your racism and sexism.
J.D. Vance has changed his name several times. He was adopted by his stepfather and named James David Hamel. Then he changed his name to J.D. Bowman, and now J.D. Vance. Melania Knauss came here as Melania Knavs, so what name does she have on her citizenship papers?
The GOP’s Voter Integrity Sham
Earlier today, House Republicans passed their SAVE Act, which they say is for voter integrity and not voter suppression. But, despite the propaganda campaign by Elon Musk and congressional Republicans, this is not about simply requiring a photo ID to vote, which the majority of Americans support. The SAVE Act requires proof of citizenship, meaning only via a passport or birth certificate, not even the Real ID in most states, that requires individuals to attest their citizenship.
What does that mean in practice? It means those who don’t have current passports — Americans who don’t travel abroad, including but not limited to poor people, older Americans who no longer travel and whose passports have expired — will have to get one. What does it cost? It starts at $165 — and that’s without the cost of getting the required photos, travel to a passport office, and other expenses. A passport card, which would also qualify, costs $65 plus the cost of photos.
Birth certificates? I would wager that a whole lot of Americans have no idea where their birth certificates are, and many never had possession of one. A replacement birth certificate can cost $40 or more. But there is another kicker. Tens of millions of American married women took the names of their husbands — and the bill leaves it up to states to decide if their birth certificates will suffice. At minimum, this means uncertainty and for states that don’t make provisions to make it easy to qualify, and many Americans — estimates say 21 million — could be turned away when they go to vote.
It is hard to escape the conclusion that this is about voter suppression more than any assertion of voter integrity, especially because the claims of Musk and the sponsors of the SAVE Act of massive voter fraud by non-citizens, has been debunked over and over, in a slew of studies. They are using their lies about voter fraud to push a bill designed to eliminate the right to vote from people who are likely to vote in a way Republicans don’t like.
The GOP’s Voter Integrity Sham
Make the Republicans hell bent on passing the SAVE Act put money where their mouths are.
contrarian.substack.com
And to further prove what the Republican fascists are trying to do to stay in power.
Nonprofit libraries ordered by State Department to stop processing passport applications
The U.S. State Department has ordered certain public libraries nationwide to cease processing passport applications, disrupting a long-standing service that librarians say their communities have come to rely on and that has run smoothly for years.
The agency, which regulates U.S. passports, began issuing cease and desist orders to not-for-profit libraries in late fall, informing them they were no longer authorized to participate in the Passport Acceptance Facility program as of Friday.
"We still get calls daily seeking that service," said Cathleen Special, executive director of the Otis Library in Norwich, Connecticut, where passport services were offered for 18 years but ceased in November after receiving the letter. "Our community was so used to us offering this."
A State Department spokesperson said the order was given because federal law and regulations "clearly prohibit non-governmental organizations" from collecting and retaining fees for a passport application. Government-run libraries are not impacted.
The spokesperson did not respond to questions as to why it has become an issue now and exactly how many libraries are impacted by the cease and desist order. In a statement, they said, "passport services has over 7,500 acceptance facilities nationwide and the number of libraries found ineligible makes up less than one percent of our total network."
Nonprofit libraries ordered by State Department to stop processing passport applications
The agency, which regulates U.S. passports, began issuing cease and desist orders to not-for-profit libraries in late fall, informing them they were no longer authorized to participate in the Passport Acceptance Facility program as of Friday.
www.pbs.org
So while they demand proof of citizenship, they are cutting off the places where people can get proof of citizenship.
We no longer live in a Democracy, or Republic. We live in a fascist authoritarian regime controlled by the Republican Party.
You were told this would happen but you fell for the banana in the tailpipe because of your racism and sexism.
