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

###