Fix Our Senate: “The only thing that stands in the way is the outdated and abused Senate filibuster”
FLASHBACK – Sen. Schumer “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 for the ‘22 elections…so we have to get it done by then.”
Washington, DC — A new letter from Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) to the Democratic caucus states that Senators should be prepared to remain in Washington “into the previously-scheduled August state work period,” and highlights a renewed push on voting rights. The letter reads in part:
“Our fight to protect voting rights has also only just begun. Last month, all fifty Senate Democrats united for the first time this Congress to move forward on a strong and comprehensive voting rights bill. Shamefully, Republicans refused to even allow a debate on voting rights legislation.
But I want to be very clear: last month’s vote represented the starting gun—not the finish line— in our fight to protect our democracy. Later this month, Senator Klobuchar will hold a field hearing in Georgia to further examine the disgraceful tactics that Republican-led state legislatures are using across the country to keep people from voting. And as Majority Leader, I reserve the right to bring back voting rights and democracy reform legislation for another vote on the Senate floor.”
The following is a statement from Eli Zupnick, spokesperson for Fix Our Senate:
“Senator Schumer has repeatedly promised that ‘failure is not an option’ on voting rights and every Senate Democrat recently voted to debate and pass the strong voting rights legislation that he said needed to get done by August. The only thing that stands in the way is the outdated and abused Senate filibuster
Unless Democrats act with urgency and pass strong voting rights protections this summer, partisan gerrymandering and Republican-driven voter suppression laws will skew our democracy for the next election and the next decade and the window will slam shut for meaningful reform.
Fix Our Senate and millions of advocates and activists across the country are looking to Democrats to deliver on their promise to protect voters and fix our broken democracy. The pressure is only going to increase and the filibuster is no longer an acceptable excuse.”