FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 13, 2021
PRESS CONTACT
press@fixoursenate.org
90 Advocacy Groups to Majority Leader Schumer: Hold Another Vote on Voting Rights, Don’t Let Filibuster Block Will of Majority
LETTER: “A majority of the Senate is now on record supporting strong voting rights, passing campaign finance reform, and curbing partisan gerrymandering. The only thing standing in the way is the outdated and abused filibuster.”
Leader Schumer in April: “Failure is not an option…If we wait until much past August then these horrible changes that these Republican legislatures are putting into effect may not be undone in time…so we have to get it done by then”
WASHINGTON, DC — Fix Our Senate, Battle Born Collective, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, Common Cause, Demand Justice, Indivisible, People for the American Way, Public Citizen, Stand Up America and over 80 other advocacy organizations sent a letter to Majority Leader Chuck Schumer yesterday afternoon calling on him to immediately bring voting rights legislation to the floor again, and not allow it to be blocked by the filibuster.
In June, all 50 Senate Democrats voted to begin debate on strong voting rights legislation while a minority of Senate Republicans used the filibuster to prevent the debate from even beginning. As people across the country learn more about the filibuster’s role in blocking voting rights and other democracy reforms, pressure will continue to increase on Senate Democrats to eliminate the outdated and abused “Jim Crow relic.”
For the full text of the letter, see here and below.
Majority Leader Schumer,
Thank you for your leadership in unifying the Democratic caucus behind the need to debate and pass voting rights legislation. A majority of the Senate is now on record supporting strong voting rights, passing campaign finance reform, and curbing partisan gerrymandering. The only thing standing in the way is the outdated and abused filibuster.
Protecting Americans’ voting rights and strengthening the fundamentals of our democracy should not be partisan issues. However, the unfortunate reality is that Senator McConnell and his colleagues think voter suppression and gerrymandering are good for their political party. They want to continue to use the filibuster as their preferred weapon to silence voters.
Republicans’ insistence on obstructing the majority’s will in the U.S. Senate is matched by their effort to suppress the people’s vote in state legislatures. As the Brennan Center for Justice notes, 14 states have enacted more than 20 laws this year that will make it harder for Americans to vote. The burden will disproportionately impact Black and brown voters. Together, it creates a dangerous moment for American democracy and Americans’ basic rights, one from which we may not return.
We agree with your repeated promise that “failure is not an option” when it comes to voting rights. To ensure progress in the face of partisan obstruction, we, the undersigned organizations, urge you to hold another vote on voting rights legislation like the For The People Act before the August recess. Further delay risks a decade of Republican-controlled gerrymandering and Republican-controlled state voter suppression laws taking effect.
If, as expected, Senator McConnell and his Republican caucus again filibuster voting rights legislation – or once again filibuster simply allowing debate to begin – we urge you to move quickly to protect our democracy by eliminating the filibuster as a weapon that Senator McConnell can use to block voting rights legislation and other urgent reforms. The filibuster cannot be allowed to stand in the way of Americans’ voting rights and our democracy.
We thank you for your continued leadership and dedication to making progress for our country.
Signed,
Fix Our Senate
Battle Born Collective
Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington
Common Cause
Demand Justice
Indivisible
People For the American Way
Public Citizen
Stand Up America
20/20 Vision
350 Eugene
Alliance for Justice
Alliance for Youth Action
America’s Voice
American Baptist Home Mission Societies
Be A Hero
Bend the Arc: Jewish Action
Black Voters Matter Fund
Blue Future
Blue Wave Postcard Movement
Broward for Progress
Campaign for America’s Future
CBFD Indivisible San Diego
Center for Law and Social Justice at Medgar Evers College, CUNY
Citizens for Constitutional Integrity
Clean Elections Texas
Climate Hawks Vote
Communications Workers of America
Decode Democracy
DemCast USA
Democracy 21
Democracy Initiative
Demos Action
Disciples Center for Public Witness
Don’t Look Away Pact
Dutchess County Progressive Action Alliance
Earth Action, Inc.
End Citizens United//Let America Vote Action Fund
Equal Citizens
Faith in Public Life Action Fund
Faithful America
Fix Democracy First
For All
Indivisible Auburn, CA
Indivisible East Bay
Indivisible Fortuna
Indivisible Georgia Coalition
Indivisible Marin
Indivisible Media City Burbank
Indivisible Napa
Indivisible Ross Valley
Indivisible Sonoma County
Lake Oconee Community Church
League of Conservation Voters
Mainers for Accountable Leadership
March for Our Lives National
Mid-Ohio Valley Climate Action
MomsRising
MoveOn
National Association of Social Workers
National Council of Churches of Christ in the USA (NCC)
National Employment Law Project
National Network for Immigrant & Refugee Rights
NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice
Newtown Action Alliance
Ohio Progressive Action Leaders
Our Revolution
People’s Action
Progress Arizona
Progressive Turnout Project
RepresentUs New Mexico
Rise Up WV
Secure Elections Network
Social Eco Education (SEE-LA)
Social Security Works
Solidarity Sundays – Marin
Southern Christian Coalition
Students Against Voter Suppression
Sunrise Movement
Supermajority
SURJ Marin – Showing Up for Racial Justice
Take Back the Court
The Workers Circle
Together We Will/Indivisible- Los Gatos
Venice Resistance
Voto Latino
We Testify
Wisconsin Faith Voices for Justice
Women’s March
Writers for Democratic Action
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Progressive Turnout Project is the largest voter contact organization in the country. Our mission: Get Democrats to vote. Since 2015, our trained field staff, fellows, and volunteers have made more than 59 million voter contact attempts across 39 states. PTP is grassroots funded, with more than 2.2 million unique donors and an average contribution of $17.39.
