FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 14, 2021
Contact: Kenny Palmer | press@indivisible.org
Campaign driving constituent rallies, protests, calls, and more to pressure lawmakers to pass the For the People Act before August
Washington, DC — Today, Indivisible, Declaration for American Democracy Coalition, Stand Up America, End Citizens United Action Fund, Common Cause, Fix Our Senate, Advancement Project, Transformative Justice Coalition, Just Democracy, and over 70 other organizations are launching Deadline For Democracy, a cross-movement mobilization plan for the July Recess demanding lawmakers act urgently to defend democracy and pass the For the People Act by August:
"We're running out of time to pass the For the People Act. Senator Schumer has said repeatedly that 'failure is not an option' and we're taking him at his word, " said Ezra Levin, co-founder and co-executive director of Indivisible. "The 1964 Civil Rights Act overcame a 54-day filibuster to become law. The 1965 Voting Rights Act took a month of floor debate before overcoming the threat of the filibuster. Then, as now, the Jim Crow filibuster did not go down quietly. We recognize the historic moment we are in, and we're mobilizing like the future of the Republic depends on it. This is the Deadline for Democracy, and everyday Americans from every corner of the country and across movements will be taking action to defend our democracy. The fight has not yet begun, but it's coming, and we're bringing it."
"The freedom to vote is under attack across the country and the best way to fight back is for Congress to take up and pass the For the People Act,” said Tiffany Muller, president of End Citizens United / Let America Vote Action Fund. “With Deadline Democracy, we're going to send a clear message that Americans across the country demand their Senators do whatever it takes to pass this critical legislation to protect voting rights, end dark money, and put power in the hands of the people, not big donors and special interests."
“We refuse to allow white supremacists to dismantle our democracy to maintain their own power,” said Judith Browne Dianis, Executive Director of Advancement Project National Office. “The strategy of voting rights opponents is to limit access to the ballot box, shift power from Black and Brown communities to reliably conservative legislatures, and maintain the ability of billionaires to buy elections. It is clear that the way to combat such attacks on our democracy is to ensure everyone has the right to vote in free, fair and safe elections. We urge Congress to take a stand for the people by passing the For the People Act this summer.”
“From protecting the freedom to vote, to ending gerrymandering, to getting big money out of politics and strengthening ethics, the For the People Act is the bold solution that the American people are demanding,” said Karen Hobert Flynn, president of Common Cause. “At a time when partisan politicians are trying to create more barriers to voting and silence our voices, there is an urgent need to pass this essential legislation. This bill is supported by everyday Americans, including a majority of Republicans, Democrats, and Independents. Nothing, including the filibuster, should block it from passage and delivering the promise of democracy to all Americans.”
“Our democracy is in grave danger,” said Christina Harvey, Managing Director of Stand Up America. “Just five months ago, a violent mob stormed the U.S. Capitol in an attempt to overturn the legitimate results of the 2020 election. Since then, motivated by the same Big Lie, state legislators across the country have introduced over 380 bills in 48 states attacking our freedom to vote. These efforts are surgically tailored to reduce access to the ballot box, especially for Black and brown Americans. Time is running out to save our democracy. Congress must act quickly, and cast aside the arcane and outdated Jim Crow filibuster, in order to pass two vital pieces of legislation: the For The People Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act. Stand Up America will continue to put the full force of our 2 million member community behind fighting for their passage.”
“Our democracy is strongest when everyone’s voices are heard fairly and equally. Amid efforts across state legislatures to curtail voting rights, and as corporate interests pervade our political systems, the For the People Act is the bold and necessary solution to transform our democracy into one that reflects the voice of all Americans,” said Jana Morgan, director of the Declaration for American Democracy coalition. “Advancing fair representation in our government by installing necessary checks against corporate corruption, eliminating partisan gerrymandering, and establishing federal election standards that strengthen the freedom vote for all Americans—especially Black, Brown, Indigenous and historically underrepresented communities—is critical. That is why our coalition of over 220 organizations across various issue areas is urging the Senate and Biden administration to swiftly pass this sweeping package of reforms, which has strong, popular support from voters across all party lines, to make the promises of democracy real for us all.”
"Republican governors and state legislatures aren’t reaching across the aisle when they’re pushing elections bills though in states across the country — they're strategically attacking the right to vote and are confident that Senator McConnell will have their back," said Eli Zupnick, spokesman for Fix Our Senate. "Right now the Senate is hopelessly gridlocked by the filibuster, a Jim Crow relic that has thwarted progress on civil and voting rights for a century. There is only one choice: the Senate must act swiftly and decisively to eliminate the filibuster as a weapon that Sen. McConnell can use to block progress on voting rights and democracy legislation. Time is running out and, as Leader Schumer has said, 'failure is not an option.'"
"Our democracy is on the line, and there's no time to waste: Lawmakers in Congress must pass the For The People Act swiftly," said Rev. Dr. Stephany Spaulding, spokesperson for Just Democracy and Founder of Truth & Conciliation. "For too long, anti-democratic actors and institutions have deliberately kept Black and Brown people out of equal participation in our democracy. It's time to fight back against Republican attacks on voting rights at the state legislative level and build a functioning and just democracy. Lawmakers on the fence must decide if they want history to remember them as aligned with the segregationist agenda, or as champions of strengthening our democracy."
“I have labored in the vineyard of the struggle for Voting Rights for decades,” said Barbara Arnwine, President & Founder of Transformative Justice Coalition. “I can think of no more critical of a time to stand up for our democracy than this moment, this day, this hour, this minute! We are traveling throughout the states in which voters have been wounded by the onslaught of vicious voter suppression legislation. We now bring directly to Congress the outcry of the newly disenfranchised voters who ask mercifully for protection by the passage of The For The People Act.“
The Deadline for Democracy campaign is in response to recent Republican state-level attacks on voting rights and the decades-long Republican campaign to undermine democracy. The For the People Act has critical provisions that will counter attacks by Republicans, including new voter protections, election security provisions, bans on partisan gerrymandering, and helps get big money out of politics. The campaign is called ‘Deadline For Democracy,’ because the Senate must pass the For the People Act by August in order for states to implement them prior to the 2022 midterm elections.
Some ways Indivisible, Declaration for American Democracy Coalition, Stand Up America, End Citizens United Action Fund, Common Cause, Fix Our Senate, Advancement Project, Transformative Justice Coalition, Just Democracy, and the other 70+ organizations will use their resources to help activists pressure the Senate to pass democracy reform before the end of summer include:
- Helping organize protests, light brigades, meeting with lawmakers, rallies, parades, and more creative, eye-catching displays,
- Facilitating trainings, community planning spaces, and media support,
- Providing grants and direct financial support, swag, and support with distributed fundraising platforms.
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ABOUT THE INDIVISIBLE PROJECT AND DECLARATION FOR AMERICAN DEMOCRACY
The Declaration for American Democracy is a diverse coalition of more than 220 democracy, environmental, labor, faith-based, good government, women’s rights, civil rights, and other groups working together to advocate for the passage of the For the People Act and advance other structural changes necessary to realize the promise of democracy for all.
The Indivisible Project (501c4) is a social movement non-profit driven by a vision of a real democracy - of, by, and for the people. Indivisible began in 2016 as a viral guide to resisting Trump’s agenda. Today, the Indivisible movement is a network of thousands of local groups and millions of activists across every state. The Indivisible Project drives campaigns for bold progressive policies, lobbies Congress, and equips activists with tools to build lasting progressive power, everywhere. Together, we fight to defeat the rightwing takeover of American government and build an inclusive democracy.