Vice Presidential Pool Report of July 21, 2021

VP Harris, Pool Report #1

Vice President Kamala Harris met in her ceremonial office with a group of poll workers this afternoon, celebrating their civic contributions and warning that the right to vote is "under threat right now."

Pool was allowed in for a photo spray at the top and to hear the vice president's opening remarks. The purpose of the meeting, she said, was to "have a discussion about how we can ensure, as we go forward, that the American people have a fair, transparent, accessible opportunity to exercise their voice through their vote."

Background on the event is pasted below.

VP Harris sat at the head of the table for what her office billed as a "conversation." Behind her and to her left sat a bust of Frederick Douglass. Two of the participants appeared remotely on a video feed; three sat at the table along with White House Counsel Dana Remus, and Justin Levitt, Senior Policy Advisor for Democracy and Voting Rights at the Domestic Policy Council.

As we left, one of the poolers asked the vice president about House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's decision to reject two of GOP leader Kevin McCarthy's picks for the committee looking into the January 6 attack on the Capitol.

"There is no question in my mind, or in most people's minds, that the American people deserve to have a thorough, a full, fair and transparent process of getting down to what happened on January 6th -- how it occurred, who was responsible -- so that we can make sure that history does not repeat itself," the vice president said.

In her opening statement, VP Harris described voting rights as an issue "as American as apple pie." She recounted how she always enjoyed voting and the warm greeting she'd receive from poll workers. She then mentioned how poll workers were the targets of threats during the 2020 election. Some felt unsafe in their homes due to threats from "folks who, as it turned out, were unhappy with the outcome of the election," she said.
"However, what we do know, and it is an undisputed fact by those who know and are informed and possess the facts, that the 2020 election was administered under the highest standards and non-partisan standards."

She went on to talk about the Administration's effort to defeat what she called "anti-voter legislation" in various states.
"We are forcefully working to pass the For the People Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Act, and working to help ensure that all Americans know what they get when they vote -- to further encourage them to vote knowing that it will make a difference in their lives," she said.

Background from the VP's office:

Today the Vice President is hosting a conversation in her Ceremonial Office with poll workers to hear about their experiences helping voters cast their ballot and have their ballots counted. She will ask the participants about their work, what motivated them to become poll workers and what they want our country to understand about the importance of protecting our poll workers and election professionals. They will discuss the impact of the laws that threaten and potentially criminalize actions of poll workers.

• A number of states have passed laws that potentially criminalize actions of poll workers, and those laws simultaneously have provisions that embolden partisan poll watchers.
• Georgia, Iowa, and Florida have recently passed laws threatening election officials and poll workers with civil or criminal penalties for doing their jobs. And at least three other states – Texas, Michigan, Arizona – are considering enacting similar laws.

Participants

• Alysoun McLaughlin, Deputy Election Director, Montgomery County, Maryland
• Gina Nicole Brown, Comedian and Actor
• DeAndre Malcom, Student, Penn State University
• Alanna Hernandez, Artist and Educator (remote)
• Nina Uzick, Retired Principal (remote)

Additional Background

• The Vice President is leading the Administration's efforts on voting rights. The Vice President is focused on protecting the right to vote by:
  • Advancing pro-voter federal legislation
  • Combatting anti-voter state legislation
  • Mobilizing so that Americans vote no matter the obstacle
• The Vice President is building a broad, national coalition – that includes national and state voting rights groups, business leaders, the faith community, and more - to advocate, educate and organize to protect the right to vote.
• Today's meeting follows four events that the Vice President participated in around voting rights last week:
  • On Monday, the Vice President held a voting rights listening session in Detroit, Michigan with local advocates.
  • On Tuesday, she met with the Texas lawmakers who broke quorum to block legislation that would have made it significantly harder for the people of Texas to vote. This follows their meeting with the Vice President at the White House last month.
  • On Wednesday, she hosted a meeting with Disabled voting rights activists who have experienced barriers to exercising their right to vote.
  • On Friday, she participated in a listening session with 20 Black women leaders to discuss the issue of voting rights.

At the table:

• Dana Remus, White House Counsel
• Justin Levitt, Senior Policy Advisor for Democracy and Voting Rights at the Domestic Policy Council

Also in room:

• Kate Childs Graham, Director of Speechwriting for the Vice President
• Josh Hsu, Counsel to the Vice President
• Nasrina Bargzie, Associate Counsel to the Vice President
• Michael Collins, Director of Public Engagement and Intergovernmental Affairs to the Vice President
• Natalie Montelongo, Deputy Director of Strategic Outreach for the Office of Political Strategy and Outreach