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In
a warning shot to Republican President Donald Trump, Democrats
included a provision in the bill requiring all presidents and
presidential nominees to make public their tax filings -
something the current White House resident has steadfastly
refused to do.
Some congressional investigators think those returns could shed
light on whether Trump has had any business dealings in Russia
that could have influenced his relations with Moscow, either as
a presidential candidate or as president.
In a party-line vote of 234-193, the House approved the "For the
People Act," a bill House Speaker Nancy Pelosi promised in the
2018 congressional election campaigns that Democrats would
pursue to help clean up American politics and foster voting
rights.
Shortly before passage of the bill, Pelosi said it "ends the
dominance of big, dark, special-interest money in politics and
it empowers small donors and the grassroots" and "fights voter
suppression."
But the measure is likely to become merely a campaign tool for
Democrats as they try to expand the number of seats they hold in
the House and to capture the Senate and White House in the 2020
elections.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Republican, has
repeatedly attacked the Democratic bill, leaving little chance
for it in the Republican-controlled Senate.
Backers say the legislation would make voter registration
easier, expand voting hours on election days, restore voting
rights to U.S. citizens who have served prison sentences for
felonies and shore up voting machines and election
infrastructure against cyber attacks and other interference.
The legislation comes after U.S. intelligence agencies found
that Russia meddled in the 2016 American presidential elections
and as Moscow has been accused of trying to influence the
outcome of elections in other democracies. Russia has denied
meddling in the 2016 election.
Special Prosecutor Robert Mueller has been investigating whether
Trump's campaign colluded with Russia in a way that was
beneficial to his successful 2016 White House bid. Trump has
denied there was any collusion between his campaign and Moscow,
and has labeled Mueller's probe a "witch hunt."
The House bill would require states to establish independent
commissions for drawing congressional districts, instead of the
power residing mainly in the hands of state governors and
legislatures.
Tougher ethics standards would be imposed on members of
Congress, and small campaign donations would be matched with
federal funds to try to blunt the influence of big donors.
Calling it the "Democrat Politician Protection Act," McConnell
has lambasted the legislation, arguing it would give Washington
too much control over elections while unnecessarily using tax
dollars for political campaigns.
As Senate majority leader, McConnell has the power to largely
decide what legislation is debated in the upper chamber.
(Reporting by Richard Cowan; editing by Jonathan Oatis)
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