“I implore my former Republican colleagues to step forward. If they don't, Manchin and other Democrats must override the filibuster to save democracy.”
LAST WEEK: Dozens of former Senate Chiefs of Staff penned a letter to Congress calling for filibuster reform.
NEW: “Democrats can’t count on voters being mad enough about suppression to overcome it”
Washington, DC — This morning, USA Today published an op-ed from former Senator Doug Jones (D-AL) calling on Democrats to pass voting rights legislation and not allow the filibuster to stand in the way. Jones, a lifelong civil and voting rights advocate, emphasizes that he favors bipartisanship but that our democracy is more important and it’s clear that there aren’t ten Republicans willing to work with Democrats on voting rights.
The op-ed can be found here, and key excerpts are below:
- “American democracy is at a critical juncture. Across nearly all 50 states, anti-democratic measures are being introduced and adopted that could enable partisan actors to interfere in election processes and affect election outcomes. It is now up to Congress to protect our democracy by adopting national, uniform standards that build confidence in elections and ensure full and equal voting access.”
- “Our country would benefit enormously from seeing bipartisan support for national standards like those in a Manchin-plus bill. But the stakes are too high to let partisanship doom this effort. I am a strong proponent of bipartisanship, but I am a stronger proponent of democracy. Congress must be the backstop for the attacks on democracy and the right to vote. If Republicans remain uniformly opposed to policies that strengthen our democracy, Democratic senators, including my friend Joe Manchin, must do what is necessary to enact these critical protections: Institute a filibuster exception for voting-rights legislation before the August recess, so a Manchin-plus package can become federal law.”
- “Partisan politicians say their anti-democratic bills and laws are intended to protect the integrity of elections, but these claims are patently false. Almost none of these measures would improve the security of elections or boost public confidence in results.”
- “If Republicans remain uniformly opposed to policies that strengthen our democracy, Democratic senators, including my friend Joe Manchin, must do what is necessary to enact these critical protections: Institute a filibuster exception for voting-rights legislation before the August recess, so a Manchin Plus package can become federal law.”
###
