In response to the introduction of the Freedom to Vote Act, Jana Morgan, director of the Declaration for American Democracy coalition—the coalition of 230+ organizations representing tens of millions of Americans nationwide, leading the charge to push for the passage of the For the People Act—issued the following statement:
“The Declaration for American Democracy thanks Senators Klobuchar, Merkley, Padilla, Warnock, Kaine, King, Manchin, Tester and Schumer for coming together for the American people to reach agreement on the revised For the People Act—now the Freedom to Vote Act. After careful review, the coalition is pleased to confirm our support for this bold reform bill as the vehicle for moving our country forward towards a democracy that is of, by, and for the people.
“The introduction of this transformative package is a result of the thousands of Americans across the country who have shown up in their communities, continued to make their voices heard, and called on their representatives in Congress to respond to the will of the people.
“We will continue to work together as a coalition to mobilize the millions of Americans in our collective memberships. In fact, tomorrow, voters will be turning out in their communities for a Finish the Job Nationwide Day of Action featuring 50 events nationwide to urge their members of Congress to build on the momentum of the Freedom to Vote Act and finish the job by passing the bill.
“No matter where we live or what our background is, Americans want fair elections, where we all have the freedom to vote and make our voices heard on important issues such as providing affordable health care, creating good jobs, and ensuring quality education. The Freedom to Vote Act will get us there by protecting our sacred right to vote, ending partisan gerrymandering, combating election subversion, and reducing dark money in politics.
“The introduction of this bill is an important step forward, but it’s just the first step. Now, the Senate must act swiftly and outline their plan for overcoming the Jim Crow filibuster to pass the bill and send it to President Biden’s desk. We also need President Biden to act on his words and use every lever of power and influence at his disposal to get this done.
“We cannot let the handful of Senators who tried to block an investigation into a deadly attack on our Capitol use the same filibuster loophole to block legislation that the majority of Americans across the political spectrum have demanded to protect our freedom to vote. It’s time to finish the job for the people.”
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