DNC unity commission blasts GOP ‘atrocities’ while touting changes for primaries

Democratic National Committee (DNC) officials vowed Saturday to reform the party’s presidential primary system while blasting Republicans for “atrocities” in the White House and Congress.

The DNC’s Unity Reform Commission Chairwoman Jennifer O’Malley Dillon and Vice Chairman Larry Cohen said that the number of superdelegates in the system would be reduced by more than half.

Superdelegates are unpledged delegates that are not bound to state primaries or caucuses, and can vote for whichever candidate they prefer at the DNC’s nominating convention in the summer.

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“We are incredibly proud of the work this commission has undertaken since May to ensure that our party’s presidential nominating process is far more inclusive and brings new people into the party. The recommendations that the Unity Reform Commission are putting forth for consideration are historic,” Dillon and Cohen said in a statement.

“This includes reducing the number of unpledged delegates or ‘superdelegates’ by nearly 60%, and making our caucuses and primaries more accessible, transparent, and accurate.”

The DNC commission officials went on to attack the Trump administration and GOP-led Congress while calling on Democrats to “unite around our values.”

“With the atrocities being committed by Republicans in the White House and in Congress it is more important than ever that Democrats unite around our values.”

“The meetings that have taken place over the past year and the reforms recommended by this body are a productive first step and will better prepare us for elections on the horizon so that we can elect Democrats from the school board to the Oval Office,” the statement reads.

The Unity Reform Commission held its last meeting this weekend, which was meant to offer recommendations for reforming the nominating system after a bruising 2016 primary battle between former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.).

DNC Chairman Tom Perez and Vice Chairman Rep. Keith Ellison (D-Minn.) called for a reduction in the number of superdelegates in a joint CNN op-ed earlier this week.

More than a dozen progressive groups led by MoveOn.org and Our Revolution have gone further, however, and are demanding a complete end to the system.

“The superdelegate system undermines the Democratic Party’s commitment to racial and gender equity, and underrepresents the younger voters forming the future of the party,” the progressive groups said a letter sent to Perez this week.