71 Organizations Send Letter Today Urging House Members to Vote for H.R. 1, Historic Democracy Reform Legislation
In a letter sent to Representatives today, 71 organizations strongly urged all House Members to support the historic package of democracy reforms contained in H.R. 1, the “For the People Act,” introduced by Rep. John Sarbanes (D-MD) and now with 234 Members cosponsoring. The organizations also strongly urged Members to vote against “any weakening amendments” and “any motion to recommit to weaken or remove any provision in the Act.”
The organizations are members of the Declaration for American Democracy coalition and represent citizens from all walks of life with broadly diverse interests. (See list of organizations signing the letter below.)
According to the letter, H.R. 1 is a “holistic approach to repairing the rules of our democracy.”
The letter stated that the legislation provides “essential solutions” to:
- Influence-money corruption of government decisions and the appearance of such corruption;
- Indefensible barriers that exist to citizens registering and exercising their fundamental right to vote;
- Extreme partisan gerrymandering that deprives the American people of fair elections; and
- Seriously flawed government ethics rules resulting in widespread ethics abuses by President Trump and his administration officials.
According to the letter:
Spurious and misleading arguments are being made against H.R. 1 by opponents who want to keep in place the unjustifiable status quo. These arguments should be recognized for what they are: desperate efforts to prevent the House from taking effective action to repair our political system, revitalize our democracy and help fulfill the promise democracy envisions for our country.
The letter continued:
We are at a crisis moment when our democracy is under grave threats from actors at home and abroad, and citizen confidence in Congress has reached dangerously low levels. Your votes on H.R. 1 are of historic consequence.
The American people and our organizations will be watching your votes on H.R. 1, including the motion to recommit, which will be judged by history.
The letter to Representatives concluded:
Our organizations strongly urge you to vote for H.R. 1 and to vote against any weakening amendment and against any motion to recommit to weaken or remove any provision in the Act.
The 71 organizations signing the letter include:
African American Ministers In Action
American Friends Service Committee
American Oversight
American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee
Brave New Films
Brennan Center for Justice
Campaign for Accountability
Center for American Progress
Center for Media and Democracy
Center for Popular Democracy
Clean Elections Texas
Coalition to Preserve, Protect and Defend
Coalition to Stop Gun Violence
Color of Change
Common Cause
Communications Workers of America (CWA)
CREW
Daily Kos
Demand Progress
Democracy 21
Democracy Matters
Democracy Spring
Disciples Refugee and Immigration Ministries
End Citizens United Action Fund.
Equal Justice Society
Ecumenical Poverty Initiative
Every Voice
Faith in Public Life
Free Speech for People
Friends Committee on National Legislation
Franciscan Action Network
Global Witness
Greenpeace
Indivisible
Interfaith Action for Human Rights
Interfaith Worker Justice
Lawyers for Good Government
Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights
League of Women Voters of the United States
Main Street Alliance
MAYDAY America
Michigan Forward
MomsRising
MoveOn
NARAL Pro-Choice America
National Association of Social Workers (NASW)
National Council of Jewish Women
National LGBTQ Task Force Action Fund
NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice
New Mexicans for Money Out of Politics (NMMOP)
Patriotic Millionaires
Peace Action
People Demanding Action
People For the American Way
Planned Parenthood Federation of America
POGO
Poligon Education Fund
Progressive Leadership Initiative
Progressive Turnout Project
Public Citizen
Service Employees International Union (SEIU)
South East Asian Faith Initiatives
Stand Up America
Take on Wall Street
Tikkun’s Network of Spiritual Progressives
Truman National Security Project
Unitarian Universalist Association
Union of Concerned Scientists
URGE: Unite for Reproductive & Gender Equity
Voices for Progress
Wisconsin Democracy Campaign
As of 2/28/19, additional signers also include:
Small Planet Institute
###
