The Progressive

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A project of Common Dreams

For Immediate Release
Contact:

Don Owens, (202) 588-7767, dowens@citizen.org
Angela Bradbery, (202) 588-7741, abradbery@citizen.org

Groups Show Broad Support for Senate Democracy Reform Bill Empowering Voters and Curbing Corruption

Voters Demand Leader McConnell Call a Vote on the For the People Act

WASHINGTON

Declaration for American Democracy, a coalition of democracy, environmental, good government, civil rights and other groups today joined U.S. Sen. Tom Udall (D-N.M.) in a show of broad local, state and national support for the introduction of the For the People Act and outlined the plan for moving forward this groundbreaking democracy reform package critical for America's future.

The bill, which overwhelmingly passed the U.S. House of Representatives in February, was introduced on Wednesday by Udall and co-sponsored by every Democratic senator. The only things stopping this monumental legislation from passing through Congress are Senate Republicans and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who said he won't allow the bill to come to the floor for debate.

View statements from coalition members on the Senate introduction of the For the People Act here.

To effectively address the real challenges America faces, we must fix our broken political system and curb the culture of corruption. The For the People Act does just that: ensuring every eligible voter can cast a vote free from barriers, ensuring our officials are working in the public interest and ending the influence of big money in politics.

The For the People Act takes a three-pronged approach to reforming and bolstering specific aspects of our democratic process:

  • Voting Rights and Election Security - The For the People Act implements automatic voter registration across the country; ensures that individuals who have completed felony sentences have their full rights restored; expands early voting and simplifies absentee voting; modernizes the U.S. voting system; prohibits voter roll purges and ends partisan gerrymandering to prevent politicians from picking their voters.
  • Campaign Finance Reform - The For the People Act upgrades online political ad disclosure; creates a publicly funded matching system for small-dollar donations; tightens rules on super PACs and restructures the Federal Election Commission to break the agency's gridlock.
  • Congressional and Executive Ethics - The For the People Act breaks the influence economy in Washington, D.C., by expanding conflict of interest law and divestment requirements; slows the revolving door; and requires presidents to disclose their tax returns.

View statements from coalition members here.

Public Citizen is a nonprofit consumer advocacy organization that champions the public interest in the halls of power. We defend democracy, resist corporate power and work to ensure that government works for the people - not for big corporations. Founded in 1971, we now have 500,000 members and supporters throughout the country.

(202) 588-1000