Former Georgia gubernatorial candidate and voting rights activist Stacey Abrams used facts to verbally correct Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on Tuesday, letting him know in no uncertain terms that Republicans across the country are actively trying to suppress the right to vote for people of color.

Graham began his line of questioning by asking Abrams if she supported voter identification, to which she responded:

“Yes. There are 35 states in the United States that have had voter identification laws. In fact, every state requires some form of identification. What I’ve objected to is restrictive voter identification laws that narrow the set of permissible materials.”

The senator interrupted Abrams, asking:

“The answer is yes as a concept. Do you support the idea that voting should be limited to American citizens?”

To that, Abrams replied:

“Yes.”

A few minutes later, Graham asked about the recent slate of measures passed in Georgia, which are among the most discriminatory and restrictive in the country:

“Do you believe the Republicans in Georgia — House, Senate — when they are making the changes to your state voting laws, do you think they are motivated by trying to suppress the African-American vote?”

Abrams:

“I have seen it happen that sometimes they are. I have seen other bills that have been truly bipartisan in nature.”

Graham continued to press:

“But do you believe that’s the motivation behind these laws?”

However, Abrams didn’t waver, making it clear that Georgia is indeed engaging in voter suppression:

“I believe the motivation behind certain provisions in SB 202 are a direct result to the increased participation of communities of color in the 2020 and 2021 elections.”

Still unhappy with Abrams’ response, Graham rephrased his query:

“I’m out of time. Do you think the [Georgia] Speaker of the House Jan Jones is motivated by trying to limit the African-American voters in Georgia?”

And that’s when Abrams leveled Graham and every Republican who claims to be for equal opportunity but continues to try and keep people of color from voting:

“I believe there is racial animus that generated those bills,” Abrams insisted. “I would not assume that that racial animus is shared by every person. But the result is that racial animus exists and if it eliminates access to the right to vote then regardless of a certain person’s heart, if the effect is deleterious to the ability of people of color to participate in elections then that is problematic and that is wrong.

“It should be rejected by all.”

It certainly should, but the GOP keeps proving that while they like to call themselves the Party of Lincoln, many of them aren’t interested in equality for everyone.

Here’s the video:

Featured Image Via Screenshot