News

Campaign Legal Center, Democracy 21, Common Cause, & CREW File Amicus Brief Supporting The FEC’s Efforts To Prevent Corruption In Ted Cruz Loan Repayment Case

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When candidates raise funds after an election to repay personal loans to their own campaigns, the risk of corruption is self-evident and voters lose out on essential knowledge until it is too late.  The Campaign Legal Center (CLC), joined by Democracy 21, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW), and Common Cause, filed an amicus […]

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Nearly 9 Months And Still No Senate Action On Voting Rights. Here’s Why.

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FRED WERTHEIMER’S WEEKLY NOTE | November 18, 2021 On March 3, the House of Representatives passed the For the People Act, landmark legislation to establish fair voting rules for federal elections and to stop voter suppression efforts in the states. Now, some nine months later, the Senate has failed to act on – or even […]

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Analysis: Why The Filibuster Rules Must Be Revised In Order To Protect Voting Rights And Save The Senate

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  By: Fred Wertheimer, President, Democracy 21 The filibuster is again at the center of an ongoing battle in the Senate over civil rights. Since June, four filibusters have blocked pending voting rights legislation that would protect millions of eligible Americans from losing their ability to vote in federal elections. The right to vote is […]

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The Civil Rights Filibuster Returns With A Vengeance

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FRED WERTHEIMER’S WEEKLY NOTE | November 11, 2021 One of the most famous Senate filibusters occurred in 1957, when South Carolina Senator Strom Thurmond held the Senate floor for more than 24 hours in an effort to block passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1957. The filibuster ultimately failed, and the Act – though […]

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GOP Blocks Voting Rights For 4th Time; It’s Time To Revise The Filibuster Rules & Protect Democracy

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FRED WERTHEIMER’S WEEKLY NOTE | November 4, 2021 For the fourth time this year, Senate Republicans have blocked essential voting rights legislation. Yesterday, their obstructionism blocked consideration of the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act. They previously blocked consideration of the For the People Act in June and again in August, and then, in October, […]

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Senate Republicans Block Consideration Of John Lewis Voting Rights Measure – Marking Fourth Time This Year They’ve Prevented Senate Consideration Of Vital Voting Rights Legislation

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Statement of Democracy 21 President Fred Wertheimer For the fourth time this year, Senate Republicans have blocked essential voting rights legislation. Today, their obstructionism blocked consideration of the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act. They previously blocked consideration of the For the People Act in June and again in August, and then, in October, they […]

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Recent FEC Ruling That Foreign Interests Can Finance Referendum Campaigns In U.S. Would Be Overturned By Freedom To Vote Act Pending In Senate

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The Federal Election Commission (FEC) recently ruled that foreign governments, foreign corporations, and other foreign interests can finance referendum campaigns in the United States. This interpretation of the existing foreign ban on influencing elections in the country has opened the door to unlimited foreign spending to influence high-profile policy issues on ballot initiatives, which often may be […]

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D21 President Fred Wertheimer On Sen. Romney’s Disingenuous Case For Protecting The Filibuster Rules

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Statement Of Democracy 21 President Fred Wertheimer   Senator Mitt Romney (R-UT) has an op-ed in The Washington Post today in which he makes a disingenuous case for protecting the filibuster rules. He makes his case based on creating an incorrect impression that Senate Democrats are seeking to fully repeal the Senate filibuster in order to pass voting rights […]

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Bypassing The Filibuster Rules Will Save Voting Rights For Millions Of Americans

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FRED WERTHEIMER’S WEEKLY NOTE | October 28, 2021 The stage is now set for enacting historic voting rights, anti-corruption, and anti-gerrymandering legislation. This essential legislation – the Freedom to Vote Act – will overturn the unprecedented wave of voter suppression laws passed this year by Republican-controlled state legislature around the country and provide protections to […]

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The Battle For The Freedom To Vote Act Moves Forward

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FRED WERTHEIMER’S WEEKLY NOTE | October 21, 2021 On Wednesday, Senate Republicans used a filibuster to block consideration of Senator Joe Manchin’s (D-WV) compromise voting rights bill, the Freedom to Vote Act. Every Republican Senator voted to deny the Senate even the ability to debate the Manchin compromise bill on the Senate floor. This battle, […]

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