Democratic Rep. Bennie Thompson of Mississippi was the only member of the Democratic party to join with Republicans in voting against the For the People Act of 2021 legislation, more commonly known as H.R. 1.
H.R. 1 was passed late Wednesday evening by a vote of 220 to 210. Thompson’s vote against the legislation was surprising because he was a co-sponsor of the legislation, according to Fox News.
Rather than stand with his Democratic colleagues, Thompsons said he would stand with his constituents who did not support the bill’s redistricting portion. (RELATED: The House Just Passed H.R. 1 – Here’s What’s In It)
“My constituents opposed the redistricting portion of the bill as well as the section on public finances. I always listen and vote in the interest of my constituents,” he told Fox.
Biden celebrates House passing HR 1, Dems’ campaign bill, vows work to ‘refine and advance’ legislation https://t.co/PrADT4Kt0L
— Fox News (@FoxNews) March 4, 2021
The goal of the reform legislation is to “expand Americans’ access to the ballot box, reduce the influence of big money in politics, strengthen ethics rules for public servants, and implement other anti-corruption measures for the purpose of fortifying our democracy, and for other purposes,” according to its text.
H.R. 1 will soon head to the Senate.