Deadline for Democracy: Here We Are Again. Our Senators must not give up on our voting rights
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Call Script
My name is __________. I am a constituent, and my zip code is _______. I am a member of Indivisible SF.
For Senator Feinstein: You issued a strong statement in support of the For the People Act in June. Now that the Freedom to Vote Act has been introduced in the Senate, it’s time to hold a press conference to support the Freedom to Vote Act, and it’s time for you to support a filibuster exemption for voting rights.
Laws restricting voting rights nationwide increased significantly after Shelby v. Holder in 2013 weakened the Voting Rights Act. And after the election of President Biden, Republican state legislatures passed hundreds more voting restrictions in 2021, including allowing partisan bodies to nullify results they don’t like. Now we have seen increasing Republican vigilante violence against election officials nationwide, which is far more dangerous than creating a filibuster exemption to protect our voting rights. Let’s get it done now.
For Senator Padilla: We are glad the Freedom to Vote Act you drafted with Senator Manchin was finally introduced in the Senate. Please work with your Senate colleagues to move forward with a carve-out to the filibuster for voting rights. Surely Senator Manchin agrees that vigilante violence against election officials nationwide is far more dangerous than making a carve-out to the filibuster to ensure free and fair elections.
For President Biden: You gave a strong, comprehensive voting rights speech in July. It is time for more use of your bully pulpit to highlight the same issues. You also surely realize the intensifying threats and intimidation of election officials are far more dangerous than a filibuster exemption for voting rights would be. Please add your private pressure to get reluctant senators to finally acknowledge that danger and pass The Freedom to Vote Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Act right away.
Background
This summer, Indivisible National and 70 other progressive groups launched a Deadline for Democracy campaign focused on outreach to Congress during the summer recess to support passing the For the People Act. We demonstrated, and we wrote and called our Members of Congress, to urge them to take action to protect our voting rights. Summer is over, but we are still on a tight Deadline for Democracy.
Senator Feinstein gave a strong statement supporting the For the People Act in June, but hasn’t issued a similar one about the Freedom to Vote Act. We’ve heard that the drafters didn’t want any more cosponsors. She has also made some equivocal statements, both for and against modifications to the filibuster. But the vigilante violence continues and our voting rights are languishing. So we are glad to see some Indivisible members demonstrating outside her office again, on Friday afternoons, to remind her that we are still under an urgent Deadline for Democracy.
In July President Biden gave a comprehensive address to the nation about voting rights. We need him to speak out again, and often. His position on the filibuster hasn’t always been clear; lately he seems to be in support of a talking filibuster with requirements to hold the floor. Whatever it may be, the time for action is now.
Republicans have become more brazen with their “fraudits” and mob violence. Those activities are far more radical and damaging to our republic than creating an exemption to the filibuster to protect our voting rights. Our president should use his bully pulpit and private pressure to get that done now.
Our Deadline for Democracy continues. Congress is scheduled to recess after December 10, and after that, it may well be too late for a gerrymandering ban to go into effect before the 2022 primary elections. While we await the strong defense of our voting rights through passage of the Freedom to Vote Act, right-wingers are expanding their incredibly dangerous vigilantism to include attacks on school boards for protecting our children from COVID and teaching our nation’s history.
References
70+ Organizations Launch 'Deadline For Democracy,' Massive July Recess Cross-Movement Mobilization, Indivisible, 6/14/21
Annotated Guide to the For the People Act of 2021, Brennan Center
https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/senate-bill/2747/actions Freedom to Vote Act, 9/14/21
The Freedom to Vote Act Unpacked, Democracy Docket, 10/18/21
Hood County elections administrator resigns after push from Trump loyalists 10/12/21, Texas Tribune
Jan. 6 panel subpoenas Stop the Steal organizers, Roll Call, 10/07/21
FBI ramps up investigations of threats against election officials, 9/20/21, CNN
Jen Psaki Updates Us on the State of Biden's Agenda | Pod Save America Podcast, 10/14/21
Biden Says He'll Push Manchin, Sinema on Filibuster, Voting Rights, 9/12/21, Rolling Stone
Remarks by President Biden on Protecting the Sacred, Constitutional Right to Vote, The White House, 7/13/21
Feinstein Supports Stronger Voting Rights Protections - Press Releases, 6/21/21, Senator Feinstein
Election Officials Under Attack, 6/16/21, The Brennan Center