FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
***Press Statement***
Today, the Declaration for American Democracy coalition recognized the communities across the country that have been vocal on the need to pass transformative democracy legislation. In February, several Members of Congress addressed their constituents to reaffirm their support for the Freedom to Vote Act and the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act at in-district democracy roundtables, with several more currently in the planning stages in the coming weeks.
Representatives Jasmine Crockett, Jennifer McClellan, and Matthew Cartwright joined local community groups at events in Texas, Virginia and Pennsylvania as local grassroots advocates across the nation encouraged their own representatives to follow suit.
“As anti-voter bills continue to be introduced in communities across the country, the issue remains top of mind for the American people,” says Christine Wood, co-director of the Declaration for American Democracy coalition. “As grassroots organizers work to tee up their representatives for upcoming roundtables in their districts, we are pleased to see that Reps. Crockett, McClellan and Cartwright are responding to their constituents on the need for federal action to strengthen our democracy at a pivotal time.”
On Feb. 20, nearly one hundred Dallas residents attended a roundtable event with Rep. Crockett, organized by Public Citizen Texas, League of Women Voters of Dallas, Somos Tejas, Clean Elections Texas, Our Vote is Our Voice, and the SAAVETX Education Fund. Participants outlined why federal action was so needed in order to ensure communities in Texas had fair representation and access to voting. As a Texas State Representative in 2021, Crockett organized her fellow legislators to fly to Washington D.C. in an attempt to block Texas Republicans from enacting voting restrictions they were steamrolling in the legislature. Three years later, House Representative Jasmine Crockett continues to advocate for democracy — as Texas legislators continue to introduce and pass a slew of anti-voter bills, and as a major lawsuit is ongoing regarding the discriminatory voter suppression laws Texas enacted in 2021.
At a democracy roundtable in Richmond, Va. on Feb. 17, Representative Jennifer McClellan, who serves on Representative John Sarbanes’s Strengthening Democracy Task Force, joined the Center for Common Ground to stress the need for federal action. By her side was Virginia Delegate Debra Gardner; Richard Walker, the Executive Director of Bridging the Gap Virginia; and Elijah Lee, a youth rights advocate representing the Voters of Tomorrow. A poll by the University of Mary Washington in September of 2023 found that Virginians identified threats to democracy as the nation’s most important problem.
Meanwhile, Pennsylvania congressman Matt Cartwright joined an event in Wilkes-Barre on Feb. 19th, organized by Action Together NEPA, featuring a panel that included State Rep. Eddie Day Pashinski, Luzerne County Councilman Jimmy Sabatino, and Action Together NEPA Executive Director Alisha Hoffman-Mirilovich. Pennsylvania voters care deeply about this issue: A poll by Upswing/Democracy First found that Pennsylvanians, by a 50% margin, overwhelmingly favored candidates who supported core pro-democracy principles.
“The Freedom to Vote forum showed just how important it is to engage our elected representatives at every level of government about making it easier to vote and celebrating our democracy. We appreciate the participation of Luzerne County Councilman Jimmy Sabatino, PA State Representative Eddie Day Pashinski, and Congressman Matt Cartwright. Congressman Cartwright’s support of the Freedom to Vote Act is critical to ensuring that all voters in Pennsylvania and across the country have the freedom to vote without barriers.” said Alisha Hoffman-Mirilovich, Executive Director of Action Together NEPA.
“The League of Conservation Voters is proud that our state affiliate, Conservation Voters of Pennsylvania, is working with democracy partners to strengthen voting rights across the state,” said Justin Kwasa, LCV Democracy Program Director. “We applaud Representative Cartwright’s leadership for a more free and fair democracy and will continue to work with DFAD and our state affiliates to encourage our Congressional leaders to pass the Freedom to Vote Act, the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, and the Washington, D.C. Admission Act for our democracy and for our environment.”
For more information on how the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act and the Freedom to Vote Act can restore our democracy, please visit https://declarationforamericandemocracy.org/.
MEDIA CONTACT: For media inquiries, please email Christine@DFADCoalition.Org
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The Declaration for American Democracy is a diverse coalition of over 260 democracy, environmental, labor, faith-based, good government, women’s rights, civil rights, and other groups focused on advancing the structural changes necessary to ensure our democracy reflects, responds to, and represents voters.
