On January 6, a violent mob of insurrectionists attacked the United States Capitol, in an attempt to hunt the Vice President and members of Congress, and overturn the results of a fair election. But breaching the Capitol building is not the only way to attack a democracy.
For decades, the powerful and the privileged have used massive political contributions to corrupt our government in their favor and secure an agenda — made up of tax giveaways and safety protection rollbacks — that serves them and their wealthy friends. And because the politicians who work for them are only serving a sliver of the American population, their agenda is deeply unpopular and they’ve resorted to trying to hold onto power by manipulating elections, by blocking citizens from voting and drawing convoluted districts.
We’ve seen that strategy gain even more steam since January, as conservatives in 43 states across America push more than 250 bills to make voting harder. They’re using the ‘Big Lie’ — blatantly false claims of voter fraud and conspiracies of a stolen election — to argue for those bills, when in reality, former President Trump’s own officials at the Department of Homeland Security confirmed that the election was the most secure in our nation’s history.
Those diabolical voter suppression bills should send shivers down the spines of anyone who believes in the vision of our republic as a government of, by, and for the people. Every American — regardless of the color of their skin, where they live, or how much money they have — deserves a seat at the table and an equal voice in their government. That’s the only way we can realize our founders’ ‘We the People’ vision, and means we must tackle every obstacle, from partisan gerrymandering, to massive sums of dark money, to voter suppression, that are keeping us from fully realizing the promise of an equal and just America.
So today, I teamed up with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Senate Rules Committee Chairwoman Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) to introduce the For the People Act in the U.S. Senate.
This groundbreaking legislation would tear down barriers preventing Americans from casting their ballots. It would break the grip of big money on our politics. And it would create independent, non-partisan commissions to draw congressional maps, so voters choose their politicians, instead of the other way around. To learn more about the For the People Act, click here.
The next step for the bill is a hearing with the Senate Rules Committee — of which I am a member — next week. I’m going to keep doing everything I can to get this bill across the finish line and signed into law so we can restore and strengthen our democracy. I’ll be sure to keep you updated along the way.
(Originally published by email from Senator_Merkley@merkley.senate.gov March 17, 2021)
