Abrams goes viral for response to GOP senator’s question on Georgia law

Former gubernatorial candidate and voting rights activist Stacey Abrams (D) went viral on social media for her response to a GOP senator’s request to list all the provisions she objects to in the Peach State’s recent controversial voting law. 

During a Tuesday Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on voting rights, Republican Sen. John Kennedy (La.) asked Abrams if she believes the Georgia voting bill signed into law by Gov. Brian Kemp (R) last month is “racist.”

“I think there are provisions of it that are racist, yes,” she responded. 

Kennedy then asked the former Georgia Democratic gubernatorial nominee to “give” him a “list of the provisions that you object to.”

Abrams, who founded the voting rights advocacy group Fair Fight Action, proceeded to list the components of the bill that she says would place unfair disadvantages on certain segments of the population, including voters in minority groups and low-income residents. 

“It shortens the federal run-off period from nine weeks to four weeks. It restricts the time a voter can request and return an absentee ballot application,” she began before commenting on the provision that requires voters to present a photo ID when participating in absentee voting. 

Abrams added that this provision would make Georgia “only the fourth state in the nation to require voters to put at risk their identity” before she was interrupted by Kennedy. 

“What else?” he questioned. 

The former Georgia state representative continued to list other provisions she opposes, including limits on the number of ballot drop box locations and its ban on “nearly all-out-of precinct votes.” 

“Meaning that if you get to a precinct and you are in line for four hours and you get to the end of the line and you are not there between 5 and 7 p.m., you have to start all over again,” she added. 

“OK. What else? Is that everything?” the Louisiana senator said. 

“No, it is not,” Abrams replied before letting out a quick laugh. “No, sir.” 

Abrams pointed out that the law allows precincts to have shortened voting windows, which she said “may have an effect on voters who cannot vote during business hours.” 

She then started to move on to another provision before Kennedy interrupted, “OK. I get the idea.”

Several Twitter users praised Abrams for her handling of Kennedy’s questions, with former Missouri Secretary of State Jason Kander (D) writing that Abrams’s “professionalism never comes at the expense of passion.” 

If you watch even a couple minutes of this testimony you’ll see @staceyabrams do what she does best:

Respectfully and seriously make a compelling argument without alienating viewers who don’t yet agree with her.

Her professionalism never comes at the expense of passion. https://t.co/ZkPpSKFEtf

— Jason Kander (@JasonKander) April 21, 2021

Do. Not. Come. For. Stacey. Abrams. https://t.co/5Vjk0i4Lhn

— steven pasquale (@StevePasquale) April 21, 2021

The interaction came during the same hearing in which Abrams got into a heated exchange with GOP Sen. John Cornyn (Texas), who asked her if she believed the Georgia legislature made “deliberate attempts to suppress the minority vote,” to which Abrams replied, “Yes.”

“The state of Georgia targeted communities that used these resources for the first time to their benefit,” Abrams said, referring to the surge in mail-in voting in the 2020 election. 

Cornyn then interrupted Abrams and accused her of filibustering and claiming that she believed voter ID laws were racist. 

Abrams pushed back, stating that she supports voter ID laws but that the way the Georgia law is targeted will disproportionately impact communities of color.