Jemele Hill claims Sen. Manchin's refusal to support sweeping voting act is a function of 'white supremacy'

Jemele Hill, contributing writer for The Atlantic and host of the "Jemele Hill is Unbothered" podcast, took aim at West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin after he announced that he would not be supporting the Democrats' "sweeping election form bill."

Hill tweeted that Manchin's plan to not support the For the People Act was "so on brand for this country," and claimed that it was a function of "white supremacy." She called Manchin a "cowardly, power-hungry white dude" and "a clown."

Hill also claimed that anyone who voted for or would vote for Donald Trump is "racist."

Hill also said that the US is "as bad as Nazi Germany."

Manchin had penned an op-ed explaining his reasons why he would not be voting for the bill in the Charleston Gazette-Mail. He said that the act pushed voting laws that "ensure partisan divisions continue to deepen."

"...congressional action on federal voting rights legislation must be the result of both Democrats and Republicans coming together to find a pathway forward or we risk further dividing and destroying the republic we swore to protect and defend as elected officials," Manchin wrote.

He called the act a "sweeping election reform bill" proposed by Democrats, and said that the "more than 800-page bill has garnered zero Republican support"

Manchin spoke to the reasons behind there being no Republicans who could get behind the bill. "Why?" He asked. "Are the very Republican senators who voted to impeach Trump because of actions that led to an attack on our democracy unwilling to support actions to strengthen our democracy? Are these same senators, whom many in my party applauded for their courage, now threats to the very democracy we seek to protect?"

"The truth, I would argue, is that voting and election reform that is done in a partisan manner will all but ensure partisan divisions continue to deepen," Manchin continued.

Manchin advocated for an update to the Voting Rights Act, the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, that "would update the formula states and localities must use to ensure proposed voting laws do not restrict the rights of any particular group or population."

"My Republican colleague, Sen. Lisa Murkowski, has joined me in urging Senate leadership to update and pass this bill through regular order," Manchin continued. "I continue to engage with my Republican and Democratic colleagues about the value of the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act and I am encouraged by the desire from both sides to transcend partisan politics and strengthen our democracy by protecting voting rights."

"Of course, some in my party have argued that now is the time to discard such bipartisan voting reforms and embrace election reforms and policies solely supported by one party. Respectfully, I do not agree," Manchin stated.

"I believe that partisan voting legislation will destroy the already weakening binds of our democracy, and for that reason, I will vote against the For the People Act. Furthermore, I will not vote to weaken or eliminate the filibuster."

Manchin concluded that "American democracy is something special, it is bigger than one party, or the tweet-filled partisan attack politics of the moment. It is my sincere hope that all of us, especially those who are privileged to serve, remember our responsibility to do more to unite this country before it is too late."

The bill does more than impact voting procedure, it also "provides for states to establish independent, nonpartisan redistricting commissions," establishes a new "National Commission to Protect United States Democratic Institutions, and other provisions to improve the cybersecurity of election systems."

It also "addresses campaign spending, including by expanding the ban on foreign nationals contributing to or spending on elections; expanding disclosure rules pertaining to organizations spending money during elections, campaign advertisements, and online platforms; and revising disclaimer requirements for political advertising."

Additional campaign funding provisions include the establishment of "an alternative campaign funding system for certain federal offices. The system involves federal matching of small contributions for qualified candidates."

Ethics reforms are also part of the bill, for "all three branches of government. Specifically, the bill requires a code of ethics for federal judges and justices, prohibits Members of the House from serving on the board of a for-profit entity, expands enforcement of regulations governing foreign agents, and establishes additional conflict-of-interest and ethics provisions for federal employees and the White House."