New letter: “Just as we needed to extend the debt limit to avoid economic calamity, we need to pass federal democracy and voting legislation to safeguard our democracy.”
Read the new letter here
WASHINGTON, DC — Fix Our Senate today announced a new letter signed by 60 organizations urging Senate Democrats to address the filibuster to pass voting rights legislation, just as they recently found a way around the filibuster on the debt ceiling. The letter arrives ahead of Democrats’ promised January push on voting rights and Senate rules.
Key excerpts from the new letter include:
“[W]hen it became clear that Senate Democrats were engaged in a serious conversation about Senate rules reform, Senator McConnell caved in October and helped pass a short-term debt limit extension, and then caved once again in December by negotiating a filibuster carve-out for the debt limit.
Unfortunately, while Senator McConnell and his Republican caucus allowed the filibuster to be eliminated for this latest debt limit extension, they remain committed to abusing the filibuster to obstruct democracy legislation, such as electoral college reforms, and voting rights legislation, such as the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act and the Freedom to Vote Act.
Just as we needed to extend the debt limit to avoid economic calamity, we need to pass federal democracy and voting legislation to safeguard our democracy. And just as you had earlier been prepared to recognize that the U.S. economy is more important than the filibuster, we urge you to make a similar assessment when it comes to our democracy and our right to vote.”
The full letter from 60 organizations is available online here and is included below, followed by the full list of 60 signers:
January 3, 2022
Dear members of the Senate Democratic Caucus,
On behalf of the millions of Americans we represent, we thank you for your commitment to responsible governance and your rejection of Republicans’ debt ceiling partisanship and obstruction. Thanks to your resolve during both the October standoff and again this month, you were successful in staving off economic calamity while revealing Senator Mitch McConnell’s animating priority: to maintain the filibuster and his ability to obstruct Democrats’ other essential priorities.
By initially insisting that Democrats raise the debt ceiling on their own while filibustering attempts to pursue a long-term extension, Senator McConnell and his Republican caucus created completely unnecessary economic uncertainty. It was a dangerous escalation in the already partisan and gridlocked Senate.
However, when it became clear that Senate Democrats were engaged in a serious conversation about Senate rules reform, Senator McConnell caved in October and helped pass a short-term debt limit extension, and then caved once again in December by negotiating a filibuster carve-out for the debt limit.
Unfortunately, while Senator McConnell and his Republican caucus allowed the filibuster to be eliminated for this latest debt limit extension, they remain committed to abusing the filibuster to obstruct democracy legislation, such as electoral college reforms, and voting rights legislation, such as the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act and the Freedom to Vote Act.
Just as we needed to extend the debt limit to avoid economic calamity, we need to pass federal democracy and voting legislation to safeguard our democracy. And just as you had earlier been prepared to recognize that the U.S. economy is more important than the filibuster, we urge you to make a similar assessment when it comes to our democracy and our right to vote.
We commend your ongoing resolve and unity and thank you for your leadership and commitment to delivering on behalf of the American people.
Signed,
Fix Our Senate
20/20 Vision DC
American Muslim Civil Rights Center
Battle Born Collective
Bend the Arc: Jewish Action
Black Voters Matter Fund
Blue Future
Broward for Progress
Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW)
Clean Elections Texas
Climate Hawks Vote
DemCast USA
Demos
Dutchess County Progressive Action Alliance
Equal Citizens
Equal Justice Society
Evergreen Action
Faith in Public Life
Feminists in Action Los Angeles
Friends of the Earth
Future coalition
Indivisible
Indivisible East Bay
Indivisible Greater Grand Rapids
Indivisible Huron Valley
Indivisible Livingston
Indivisible Northern Nevada
Indivisible Northville & Neighbors
Indivisible ReSisters Walnut Creek
Indivisible Sonoma County
Kindling
League of Conservation Voters
Leelanau Indivisible
Long Beach Alliance for Clean Energy
Mainers for Accountable Leadership Action
March For Our Lives
March On
Mid-Ohio Valley Climate Action
National Council of Jewish Women
National Network for Immigrant and Refugee Rights
NextGen America
Our Revolution
People's Action
Pride at Work
Progress Arizona
R2H Action [Right to Health]
RepresentUs New Mexico
Rise Up To Action
Secure Elections Network
SEE-LA (Social Eco Education-LA)
Social Security Works
Southern Christian Coalition
Stand Up America
SWIM (Statewide Indivisible Michigan)
The Workers Circle
Traverse Indivisible
Union for Reform Judaism
United We Dream Action
Women of Michigan Action Network (WOMAN)
WV Citizen Action