West Virginia AG rips Democrats' election reform bill as 'unconstitutional,' 'welfare for politicians'

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The Dems’ ‘unconstitutional’ voter reform bill is ‘welfare for politicians’: W.V. attorney general

West Virginia Attorney general Patrick Morrisey on 20 Republican state Attorney Generals slamming the Democrats’ voting reform bill.

The massive election reform measure that House Democrats passed this week is "welfare for politicians" and "seeks to undermine voter ID laws," among other "dangerous and unconstitutional" measures, West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey told "America Reports" on Friday.

Morrisey recently joined 20 Republican state attorneys general in signing a letter denouncing the "For the People Act" hours before it passed the House Wednesday. The measure aims to expand access to the polls, fight partisan gerrymandering and set up new public funding for congressional races.

MORRISEY: This is a very dangerous bill, and at its core, this is a major power grab by Congress and by Speaker [Nancy] Pelosi. If you look at the Constitution, the Constitution lays out how elections are going to be set forth. There's obviously some role for the federal government in a number of the elections. There's a primary role for the state government. This bill is trying to wipe out a significant amount of the state's role in managing elections. What is that going to do? Number one, it's going to undermine voter ID, which I think is critical, and it helps to reduce fraud. It's in place in 35 states.

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Number two, it's actually going to limit the state's ability to take inactive voters off the rolls once again, to provide more confidence to the American public that people who shouldn't be voting aren't actually getting to the polls if they're ineligible. And it also will chill free speech. This is welfare for politicians. It should not pass the U.S. Senate. If it does, I'm prepared to file a lawsuit to make sure that this unconstitutional legislation is struck down."

20 STATE AGS DENOUNCE DEMOCRATS' H.R. 1 AS UNCONSTITUTIONAL

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The For the People Act of 2021, known as H.R. 1, passed by a vote of 220 to 210. No Republicans supported the bill.

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House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said the legislation is needed to combat voter suppression efforts, to crack down on corruption and to diminish the influence of big money in politics. 

"This is called the 'For The People bill,'" Pelosi said Wednesday. "And in [passing it], we combat big, dark, special- nterest money in politics and amplify the voice of the American people."

Fox News' Houston Keene contributed to this report.