New Hampshire Senator Maggie Hassan (D) is receiving criticism for her support of the For the People Act, also known as Democrats’ legislative power-grab over federal elections. The bill would completely overhaul the current system and take power away from individual states, putting electoral jurisdiction in the hands of the federal government.
Hassan, a vulnerable target of Republicans for her reelection in 2022, joined other Senate Democrats in advocating for the House-passed legislation, arguing that "corporate special interests" have no place in politics. In reality, the overhaul legislation would funnel taxpayer dollars to political campaigns.
Elections should be decided by voters – NOT corporate special interests. It's time to pass the #ForThePeople Act to ensure that money doesn’t control our politics.
— Sen. Maggie Hassan (@SenatorHassan) March 24, 2021
A prominent figure in New Hampshire, longtime Secretary of State Bill Gardner, slammed the legislation as a detriment to the power of the state’s constitution.
“That bill takes away the constitution of the state. It takes away things that we can’t do under our constitution when it comes to elections and denies the people the right they have under their own state constitution,” Gardner said to New Hampshire’s WMUR9. “Federal law trumps the state constitution. And if you can trump the state constitution, you can trump a state law.”
Now on @WMUR9 - @NHSecretary Gardner says "For the People Act" puts NH’s #fitn primary at risk; Longtime election official concerned that the bill, if enacted, can supersede state law; @NHGOP targets @JeanneShaheen @Maggie_Hassan on issue #NHPolitics #WMUR https://t.co/bslD2gcmBP pic.twitter.com/oKaPVO5nyo
— John DiStaso (@jdistaso) March 30, 2021
Senate Leadership Fund (SLF), a prominent group working to elect a Republican majority in the upper chamber, took note of Hassan’s obedience to "DC party bosses" over her constituents.
"New Hampshire deserves better than a Senator who would betray her own constituents to give DC party bosses even more power," SLF spokesperson Jack Pandol said in a release. "Where is Senator Hassan when New Hampshire needs her to stand up and fight back?"
The radical legislation that passed the House on party lines is unlikely to clear the 60-vote threshold in the upper chamber.
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