Press Releases Archive

Leadership Conference On Civil And Human Rights And 53 Other Groups, Including Democracy 21, Urge Congress To Remain Focused On The Fight For Voting Rights

Reforms to the Electoral Count Act (ECA) are “needed and welcome, but they simply are not adequate to meet the current moment.” As Congress considers the next steps in the fight to move voting rights forward, The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, a coalition of more than 230 national organizations, and 53 individual […]

Statement of D21 On The Senate Voting Down A Filibuster Rules Change That Would Have Allowed Voting Rights To Pass By Majority Vote

  “The Fight Goes On.”  Statement of Democracy 21 President Fred Wertheimer American democracy suffered a major defeat last night. Last night, 52 Senators voted down a filibuster rules change that would have allowed the Freedom to Vote: John R. Lewis Act to pass the Senate by majority vote. Those Senators – 50 Republicans and […]

Wertheimer Op-Ed On “NBC News Think”: Trump And The GOP’s Biggest Voting Rights Lies — And Why They’re Wrong

As the voting rights debate begins “the decision Senators make will determine whether our democracy and the right to vote will be preserved — or whether Trump’s Big Lie will continue to contaminate the country,” D21 President Fred Wertheimer writes on NBC Think. Debate on the Freedom to Vote: John R. Lewis voting rights legislation is […]

National Pro-Democracy Coalition Calls On Senate Democrats To Hold The Floor Until The Freedom To Vote: John R. Lewis Act Is Passed

On Tuesday night, as the Senate continued debate on the Freedom to Vote: John R. Lewis Act, a coalition of 63 organizations and partners, including Democracy 21, issued statements regarding the urgency and importance of passing the Freedom to Vote: John R. Lewis Act and continuing debate until the legislation is passed. Statement of Democracy […]

Sports Legends Endorse Freedom to Vote: John R. Lewis Act

  “[W]e are united now in urging Congress to exercise its Constitutional responsibility to enact laws that set national standards for the conduct of Federal elections and for decisions that determine election outcomes,” Jerry West, Nick Saban, Paul Tagliabue And Others Write In Letter To Sen. Manchin   In a letter to Senator Joe Manchin […]

D21 Urges Senate To Engage In Extended Debate On Voting Rights

  In a letter today, Democracy 21 urged the 50 Senators who support the Freedom to Vote: John R. Lewis Act to “do whatever it takes” to pass the legislation. When Senate proponents “fought for the historic Civil Rights Act of 1964, they recognized the bill was of overriding importance to the country,” according to […]

D21 Statement On Sen. Majority Leader Schumer Setting The Stage To Bring Voting Rights To Senate Floor

Statement of Democracy 21 President Fred Wertheimer Democracy 21 strongly applauds Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) for his masterful strategy to get the Freedom to Vote Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act to the Senate floor for consideration without being blocked by a Republican filibuster. Working with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, […]

LISTEN: Fred Wertheimer On Biden’s Speech, McConnell’s Threats, And “Decision Time” On Voting Rights

      Democracy 21 President Fred Wertheimer on Background Briefing With Ian Masters on January 11, 2022. (18 minutes)    

Sen. McConnell’s Latest Threats Against Modifying The Filibuster Rules Give New Meaning to “Chutzpah”

Statement of Democracy 21 President Fred Wertheimer Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell’s latest threats against modifying the filibuster rules give new meaning to the word “chutzpah.” McConnell reportedly said today that if Democrats “nuke” the filibuster, Republicans will act “in ways that are more inconvenient for the majority and this White House then anyone has seen in living […]

UPDATE: D21 Report — The Senate Filibuster, 1806 – 2021

View & Download This Report As A PDF By: Fred Wertheimer, President, Democracy 21  |  UPDATED: January 2022 The United States Senate is facing a decision of historic consequence with the fate of our democracy at stake. Will 50 Senators plus the Vice President be able to pass the Freedom to Vote Act and override […]