With Democracy at a Crossroads, Senate Must End Jim Crow Filibuster
For Immediate Release: June 22, 2021
Contact: Jeralyn Cave, jcave@advancementproject.org
WASHINGTON — In light of the Senate blocking S. 1, the For the People Act, Advancement Project’s national office, a multiracial civil rights organization, released the following statement:
“It is indisputable that Republican leaders would rather fuel their rhetoric of white grievance and villainize people of color than protect our democracy,” said Jorge Vasquez, Power and Democracy Director of Advancement Project National Office. “They have long attempted to distract from their failures and pass anti-voter bills at the state level to attack our freedom to vote. Today, they’ve blocked a common-sense bill that would have established guardrails for democracy. Going forward, the Senate must eliminate the Jim Crow filibuster. It’s the only way to guard against their attempts to subvert elections on behalf of the wealthiest few and the far right.”
The For the People Act would make it possible for more Americans to be heard at the ballot box. It would create national standards for voter accessibility, end dark money to prevent the ultra wealthy from buying elections, and strengthen how congressional districts are drawn to give fair representation for all.
“Today Republicans blocked an attempt to bring us closer to the promise of democracy,” said Judith Browne Dianis, Executive Director of Advancement Project National Office. “This gives us a sense of their priorities: they won’t bring accountability for the attempted coup, but they will block a bill to expand democracy.
“This is yet another reminder that we need to get rid of the filibuster. During the Civil Rights Movement, opponents blocked legislation with the filibuster. Today we saw the 2021 version of this effort to block progress. We urge Senate leaders to take action and stop silencing our voices.
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Advancement Project is a next generation, multi-racial civil rights organization. Rooted in the great human rights struggles for equality and justice, we exist to fulfill America’s promise of a caring, inclusive and just democracy. We use innovative tools and strategies to strengthen social movements and achieve high impact policy change.
