New letter to Senate Democrats: “[N]o amount of citizen engagement and organizing can overcome this harsh reality: if the filibuster is left intact, Republicans will continue to weaponize it to block legislative progress.”
Read the new letter here.
Washington, DC — Stating, “We are rapidly approaching the last-chance moment for the Senate to pass strong voting rights and democracy-protecting legislation,” Fix Our Senate, Battle Born Collective, Common Cause, Equal Citizen, Indivisible, Stand Up America, and 112 additional organizations representing millions of Americans sent a letter to the Senate Democratic caucus urging them to “pass strong voting rights and democracy-protecting legislation and finally address the filibuster that stands in the way of their passage.”
Key excerpts from the letter include:
“As organizations representing millions of people across the country, we write with shared urgency about the threats facing our democracy and the critically-needed commensurate response we are counting on you to deliver. We are rapidly approaching the last-chance moment for the Senate to pass strong voting rights and democracy-protecting legislation and finally address the filibuster that stands in the way of their passage.
...Over the recess Senators have heard from constituents committed to protecting our democracy and prepared to hold elected officials accountable, including members of the organizations we represent. But no amount of citizen engagement and organizing can overcome this harsh reality: if the filibuster is left intact, Republicans will continue to weaponize it to block legislative progress.
...There is not a moment to waste. Every day that passes with the filibuster still standing, as it does today, threatens the health of our democracy and the voting rights of our fellow Americans. The choice is crystal clear: stand with us and your constituents and protect our democracy, or protect the abused and outdated “Jim Crow relic.” There is no third option.
We look forward to the day - in the near future - when the health of our democracy is secured, the voting rights of our fellow citizens are protected, and the filibuster no longer presents an existential threat to the functioning of the U.S. Senate and the fate of our democracy.”
Below is the full text of the letter, followed by the signers:
Dear members of the Senate Democratic Caucus,
As organizations representing millions of people across the country, we write with shared urgency about the threats facing our democracy and the critically-needed commensurate response we are counting on you to deliver. We are rapidly approaching the last-chance moment for the Senate to pass strong voting rights and democracy-protecting legislation and finally address the filibuster that stands in the way of their passage.
The Senate should have taken action before leaving for August recess. As summer ends and the Senate prepares to come back to what is shaping up to be a busy fall, we are making a new and urgent call for action as the window rapidly closes to protect our democracy.
The Census Bureau’s release of redistricting data has set off a round of partisan gerrymandering that will allow politicians across the country to rig congressional districts for the next decade. Meanwhile legislatures across America have passed dangerous new laws to restrict voting rights and revamp election laws for their own partisan advantage. Unless the Senate joins the House in passing strong federal legislation in response - and quickly - it will be too late to protect voting rights in the 2022 midterm elections and draw fair districts in the decennial redistricting process.
The majority of the Senate, and the entirety of the Senate Democratic caucus, supports debate and passage of legislation to protect voting rights, curb partisan gerrymandering, and strengthen our democracy. As we saw on June 22nd and then again on August 11th, the only thing standing in the way is the outdated and abused filibuster.
Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and his Republican colleagues are clearly intent on protecting state-level efforts to undermine our democracy. In fact, Sen. McConnell has called defeating voting rights legislation his “highest priority.” And he plans to continue abusing the filibuster as his weapon of partisan obstruction.
Over the recess Senators have heard from constituents committed to protecting our democracy and prepared to hold elected officials accountable, including members of the organizations we represent. But no amount of citizen engagement and organizing can overcome this harsh reality: if the filibuster is left intact, Republicans will continue to weaponize it to block legislative progress.
We agree with the assessment made by many of you that “failure is not an option” when it comes to vital federal legislation protecting Americans’ voting rights and our democracy. These bedrock issues should not be subject to partisan filibusters that allow a minority of senators to subvert the will of the people and obstruct legislation supported by the majority.
We understand that the Senate plans to address voting rights and democracy protection as soon as it returns from recess. To meet the urgency of the moment and scale of the threat, we call on the Senate to return to Washington as quickly as possible to address the filibuster and deliver the federal voting and democracy protections we need.
There is not a moment to waste. Every day that passes with the filibuster still standing, as it does today, threatens the health of our democracy and the voting rights of our fellow Americans. The choice is crystal clear: stand with us and your constituents and protect our democracy, or protect the abused and outdated “Jim Crow relic.” There is no third option.
We look forward to the day - in the near future - when the health of our democracy is secured, the voting rights of our fellow citizens are protected, and the filibuster no longer presents an existential threat to the functioning of the U.S. Senate and the fate of our democracy.
Signed,
Fix Our Senate
Battle Born Collective
Common Cause
Equal Citizens
Indivisible
Stand Up America
20/20 Vision DC
350 Eugene
Alliance for Justice
Alliance for Youth Action
Bend the Arc: Jewish Action
Black Voters Matter Fund
Blue Future
Blue Wave Postcard Movement
Brady
Brave New Films
Broward for Progress
Businesses for a Livable Climate
CA Businesses for a Livable Climate
Call to Action Colorado
Campaign for America's Future
CASE Action
CatholicNetwork US
CBFD Indivisible San Diego
Citizens for Constitutional Integrity
Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW)
Clean Elections Texas
Climate Crisis Policy
Climate Hawks Vote
CO Businesses for a Livable Climate
Communications Workers of America (CWA)
Dallas Peace and Justice Center
Declaration for American Democracy
Demand Justice
DemCast USA
Democracy 21
Democracy for America
Democracy Matters
Democratic Progressive Caucus of Florida
DFA Palm Beach County
Dutchess County Progressive Action Alliance
Empowering Pacific Islander Communities (EPIC)
Equal Justice Society
Equality California
Evergreen Action
Fair Elections for New York
Faith for Black Lives
Faith in Public Life Action
Feminist Majority
Fix Democracy First
Friends of the Earth
Future Coalition
Herd on the Hill
I-70/Vasquez Blvd. Superfund CAG
Indivisible Detroit Coalition
Indivisible East Bay
Indivisible Marin
Indivisible Northern Nevada
Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement
Main Street Alliance
Mainers for Accountable Leadership
March for Our Lives
Michiganders for Fair & Transparent Elections
Mid-Ohio Valley Climate Action
MomsRising
Montbello Neighborhood Improvement Association
MoveOn
National Association of Social Workers
National Council of Jewish Women
National Network for Immigrant and Refugee Rights
National Voter Corps
NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice
Newtown Action Alliance
NoRA
North Range Concerned Citizens
Northridge Indivisible
One Fair Wage
Our Revolution
OVEC-Ohio Valley Environmental Coalition
People's Action
Poder Latinx
Pride at Work
Progressive Change Campaign Committee
Progressive Democrats of America
Progressives for Democracy in America Cent FL
RapidShift Network
RepresentUs New Mexico
Rise Up WV
Service Employees International Union (SEIU)
Small Business Alliance
Social Security Works
Spirit of the Sun
Statewide Indivisible Michigan
Students Against Voter Suppression
Sunrise Movement
Supermajority
SURJ Marin - Showing Up for Racial Justice
Take Back the Court
The Earth Bill Network
The Green House Connection Center
The National Vote
The Sierra Club
UltraViolet
UNITE HERE Local 11
Unite North Metro Denver
Unite North Metro Denver
Upper West Side MoveOn/Indivisible Action Group
URGE: Unite for Reproductive & Gender Equity
Venice Resistance
Voices for Progress
Vote Save America
Voto Latino
Wall of Women
We Testify
Wisconsin Faith Voices for Justice
Women of Michigan Action Network
Women's March
Zero Hour