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 Democracy 21. “They forced opponents to filibuster day after day for 60 days until they broke the filibuster and passed the legislation.”
The current voting rights battle “is of similar overriding importance,” according to Democracy 21.
Democracy 21 called on Senators “to engage in extended debate on this legislation, educate the country on the seminal importance of winning this battle, and force the supporters of the state voter suppression and election sabotage laws to engage in a talking filibuster and try to justify their position.”
Read the Democracy 21 letter online or below.
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January 18, 2022
Dear Senator:
Democracy 21 strongly supports the Freedom to Vote: John R. Lewis Act. As a cosponsor of the two voting rights bills combined into the Act, we appreciate your support.
The wave of state voter suppression and election sabotage laws enacted last year is the greatest threat to the right of every eligible American to vote and have their vote properly counted since the days of Jim Crow laws. More of these state laws are expected in 2022.
The state laws are aimed at preventing potentially millions of eligible Americans from being able to vote – particularly people of color, the disabled, the young, and urban residents. The Act would provide essential protections for voters and for the integrity of our elections. The Act also would protect against new state laws that empower partisan election officials to manipulate the results of federal elections.
When proponents fought for the historic Civil Rights Act of 1964, they recognized the bill was of overriding importance to the country. They forced opponents to filibuster day after day for 60 days until they broke the filibuster and passed the legislation. Democracy 21 urges you to recognize that overcoming the new state laws is of similar overriding importance.
Democracy 21 calls on you to engage in extended debate on this legislation, educate the country on the seminal importance of winning this battle, and force the supporters of the state voter suppression and election sabotage laws to engage in a talking filibuster and try to justify their position.
The Senate must not spend a couple of days on this battle and then move on. The Act is too important to preserving our democracy. Going through the motions of fighting a filibuster on this legislation of seminal importance is unacceptable. Senate supporters must do whatever it takes to pass the Act.
The stakes here could not be higher: protect the right to vote and preserve our democracy, or allow Trump’s Big Lie to continue to contaminate our nation.
We urge you to follow the guidance of the late voting rights icon, Rep. John Lewis: “Never give up, never give in.” Democracy 21 urges you to do whatever it takes to pass the Freedom to Vote: John R. Lewis Act.
Sincerely,
Fred Wertheimer
President
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