The Sustaining Our Democracy Act Is Essential Legislation To Protect The Integrity Of Our Elections And Democracy
Statement of Democracy 21 President Fred Wertheimer
One of the greatest dangers facing our democracy today is the systematic poisoning of the integrity of our elections by former President Trump and the unrelenting spread of his Big Lie in our nation. This has led to millions of Americans doubting the honesty of our elections, despite the absence of any evidence to support this.
On Wednesday, Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Chair of the Senate Rules Committee, Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), and nine cosponsors introduced the Sustaining Our Democracy Act, essential legislation that will help protect the integrity of our elections and our democracy.
The legislation would provide $20 billion in mandatory federal funding over the next decade to help states and local governments support election administration; secure and upgrade election infrastructure; expand polling places and the availability of early and mail voting; recruit and train nonpartisan poll workers and election officials; protect election officials from threats and harassment; and increase access to voting in federal elections for underserved communities, voters with disabilities, racial and language minority groups, military and overseas voters, and voters in Indian lands.
The right to vote is the cornerstone of our democracy and it is under threat today by new Jim Crow voter suppression laws in the states, threats to, and harassment of, election officials around the country, and the unrelenting efforts of Trump and his allies to set the stage in the states to steal future elections.
The Sustaining Our Democracy Act will help stand up to these urgent threats.
Democracy 21 applauds Senators Klobuchar and Warren for the work they have done to craft a powerful bill to protect our elections. We urge the Senate to pass the Sustaining Our Democracy Act.
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