FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 28, 2023
***Press Statement***
The Declaration for American Democracy Coalition, Arizona Grassroots Leaders Thank President Biden for Speaking Out For Democracy
Groups Call for Executive Action to Protect the Freedom to Vote
Washington, D.C. – On Thursday, September 28 in Phoenix, Arizona, President Biden delivered a speech focused on the health of our democracy. This speech comes at a time when our democracy and voting rights are under attack, with a near record number of restrictive, anti-voter bills introduced so far in 2023, with at least 11 states enacting 13 restrictive voting laws that would create deliberate barriers for eligible voters to access the ballot box, disproportionately impacting voters of color.
In response, the Declaration for American Democracy Coalition released the following statement:
“We thank President Biden for putting democracy front and center in his extremely strong speech, and urge him to follow up his words with action to protect our freedom to vote. President Biden should continue to loudly support the Freedom to Vote Act and John Lewis Voting Rights Act, and aggressively move executive and regulatory actions to protect and strengthen our democracy.
“Arizonians are at the epicenter of the fight for democracy. Extremists in the state legislature have introduced dozens of bills that threaten democracy and the freedom to vote.
“President Biden understands how important it is to build a democracy where every vote is counted and every voice is heard. He has stated time and again that it is our shared responsibility as Americans to fight hate speech, extremism, and those who would pull down our democracy, and we applaud him for pushing this narrative forward. Now is the time for him to follow his words with action. We are roughly a year from the next election, so we urge the President to spend this year doing everything he can to shore up our democracy–including increasing disclosure of secret influence in politics, fighting corruption, and helping to improve the functioning of our elections.”
Amanda Lugo, Senior Grassroots Manager at All Voting Is Local Action Arizona, released the following statement:
“The strength of our democracy lies in the hands of voters. Our greatest strength is that we get to exercise our right to vote and choose our leaders. There are some who have spent the last few years seeking to undermine our elections, but they have failed. We’re calling on Congress to pass the Freedom to Vote Act and thank President Biden for his support on the bill.”
Jenny Guzman, Program Director at Common Cause Arizona, released the following statement:
“It is imperative we pass the Freedom to Vote Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Act. Voting is our sacred right, and as we’ve seen here at home in Arizona, there are new threats constantly emerging and attempting to weaken that right each election year. The Freedom to Vote Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Act eliminate barriers to the ballot box and ensures every eligible voter can freely, fairly, and accessibly make their voice heard, helping to make real the promises of our democracy for all.”
For more information on how executive actions, Freedom to Vote Act, and the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act can restore our democracy, please visit https://declarationforamericandemocracy.org/.
MEDIA CONTACT: For media inquiries, please email elias@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.
