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For Immediate Release
August, 05 2020, 12:00am EDT
Contact:
Email:,press@civilrights.org,Phone: (202) 869-0398
Advocates Call on Congress to Fund Elections Immediately
Rep. Sewell, Calif. Secretary of State Padilla join civil rights leaders to mark the 55th anniversary of Voting Rights Act
WASHINGTON
Civil rights advocates hosted a press briefing call today to outline the need for immediate election funding in the new COVID-19 relief package to protect the integrity of the general election. Speakers included Rep. Terri Sewell and Calif. Secretary of State Alex Padilla, as well as leaders from The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, NAACP, American Association of People with Disabilities, and the Georgia Coalition for the People's Agenda.
To hear a recording of the call, click here.
"The Senate must immediately include $3.6 billion in the next COVID-19 package to ensure safeguards for our democracy during the pandemic and beyond. That includes mandating that states establish vital protections for voters and a range of options to ensure every person can safely cast a ballot in a way that works for them. Without a functional democracy in which everyone is included, heard, and represented, we cannot make real progress on civil and human rights issues like affordable health care, fair wages, educational equity, and justice reform," said Vanita Gupta, president and CEO, The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights.
Congresswoman Terri Sewell said, "It would be impossible to commemorate the 55th anniversary of the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 without acknowledging the passing of my dear friend and voting rights hero, John Lewis. Not only must Mitch McConnell take up and pass the John Robert Lewis Voting Rights Act of 2020 -- which has been sitting on his desk since December 2019 -- he ought to support the VoteSafe Act that requires states to permit no-excuse mail-in absentee voting for the 2020 elections and an early in-person voting period of at least 20 days for the 2020 elections. Ensuring free and fair elections is the cornerstone of our democracy and, right now, too many Americans are being left behind. We must recommit ourselves to John Lewis' vision of America, and restore the promise of voter equality!
"Congressman John Lewis -- and many others -- marched and bled so that every citizen could exercise their right to vote. This November, we must not force American citizens into having to choose between exercising their right to vote or protecting their health and that of their loved ones. We must honor the spirit of Congressman Lewis and the spirit of the Voting Rights Act by offering voters safe options for casting their ballot, beginning with no-excuse vote-by-mail. And Congress must act to provide the funding necessary for state and local elections officials to administer accessible, secure, and safe elections," said Alex Padilla, California secretary of state.
"The onslaught against protections for voters of color continues to intensify as we move closer to November," said Derrick Johnson, president and CEO, NAACP. "Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and civil unrest across the country, it has been made abundantly clear that the people's voice and vote require immediate restoration. The disintegration of voting rights has disproportionately affected Black voters; we must work diligently to curtail the consequences and place the power back in the hands of the electorate."
Maria Town, president and CEO, American Association of People with Disabilities, said, "People with disabilities frequently encounter barriers to our participation in the democratic process -- from inaccessible polling places to inoperable accessible voting machines to discriminatory voter ID laws. During the pandemic, a shift to vote by mail presents additional barriers and will not be accessible to many in the disability community. States need funding to ensure they can execute accessible vote by mail programs and maintain safe, accessible and fair in person early and election day voting."
"As evidenced by the many problems with vote by mail, lack of poll workers, insufficient polling locations, equipment problems, and long lines that happened in the June 9 primary in Georgia, it is imperative that Congress provide funding for elections in November so that both voters and election officials have sufficient personal protective equipment and voting can be conducted in a safe, accessible, and secure manner. A few of the critical needs for funding are drop boxes, recruitment of poll workers, scanners that can handle large numbers of paper ballots, postage for vote by mail ballots, increased funding for the postal service to be able to deliver voters' ballots in a timely manner, and security of voting systems," said Helen Butler, executive director, the Georgia Coalition for the People's Agenda.
In addition, to commemorate the 55th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act, the following groups are joining The Leadership Conference in engaging in a day of action tomorrow, August 6, as they continue advocating for congressional funding to ensure safe and accessible elections this year:
ACLU
Action Group Network
ADL (Anti-Defamation League)
Alaskans Take A Stand
American Federation of Teachers
Americans for Democratic Action (ADA)
Andrew Goodman Foundation
Arab American Institute
Black Women Rising
Blue Future
Brady
Campus Vote Project
Center for American Progress
Center for Disability Rights
Clean Elections Texas
Climate Reality Action Fund
Color Of Change
Common Cause
Communications Workers of America
Daily Kos
Declaration for American Democracy
Demcast USA
Democracy 21
Democracy Initiative
End Citizens United / Let America Vote Action Fund
Franciscan Action Network
Generation Progress
Greenpeace USA
HAZMAT America
Impact Fund
In Our Own Voice: Black Women's Reproductive Justice Agenda
Indivisible
Lawyers for Good Government
Let Nevadans Vote
Little Lobbyists
MALDEF
Missouri Voter Protection Coalition
Movement Advancement Project
NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc.
National Association of Social Workers
National Council of Jewish Women
National Urban League Young Professionals
NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice
Oxfam America
PFAW
Planned Parenthood Action Fund
Poligon Education Fund
Progressive Turnout Project
Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism
Service Employees International Union (SEIU)
Stand Up America
Texas Progressive Action Network
UnidosUS
United Methodist Church - General Board of Church and Society
When We All Vote
YWCA USA
The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights is a coalition charged by its diverse membership of more than 200 national organizations to promote and protect the civil and human rights of all persons in the United States. Through advocacy and outreach to targeted constituencies, The Leadership Conference works toward the goal of a more open and just society - an America as good as its ideals.
(202) 466-3311LATEST NEWS
'Cowardly Bullshit': Handful of Dems Join Senate GOP to Block Ban on US Bombs, Bulldozers to Israel
"The fact that 40 of 47 Democratic senators voted to withhold military hardware from Israel is a new high water mark in holding Israel accountable," said one observer, who called the final vote "still troubling."
Apr 15, 2026
US senators on Wednesday voted down a pair of resolutions aimed at blocking US bomb and bulldozer sales to Israel as it continues its genocidal war on Gaza and devastating bombardment and mass displacement in Lebanon.
Upper chamber lawmakers voted 59-40 against advancing SJ Res. 32, a joint resolution introduced by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) "providing for congressional disapproval of the proposed foreign military sale to the government of Israel of certain defense articles and services."
At issue are $295 million worth of Caterpillar D9 series bulldozers, spare parts, and related services. Israel often uses the bulldozers to destroy homes and other civilian structures in Gaza, the illegally occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and Lebanon.
Absolutely historic vote today where 40 US Senators voted to block the sale of Caterpillar D-9 bulldozers to Israel, citing civilian harm Gaza, the West Bank, and Lebanon.Though the measure was defeated (as expected), the tide is turning. Just last year, this number was 27.
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— Mai El-Sadany (@maitelsadany.bsky.social) April 15, 2026 at 4:21 PM
In 2003, American human rights activist Rachel Corrie was crushed to death by a Caterpillar D9 while attempting to stop the demolition of a home in Rafah, Gaza.
Entire villages and hamlets have been razed using the dozers as Israel ethnically cleanses the occupied territories to make way for Jewish-only settler colonies.
The SJ Res. 32 roll call was followed by a 63-36 vote against advancing SJ Res. 138, which was introduced by Sanders and Sens. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), and Peter Welch (D-Vt.). The measure rejects the proposed sale of 12,000 BLU–110A/B general purpose, 1,000-pound bomb bodies and associated items and services.
Experts point to Israel's use of 1,000- and 2,000-pound bombs in densely populated Gaza—and the Israeli military's loosened rules of engagement effectively allowing unlimited civilian casualties in strikes targeting a single Hamas militant of any rank—as a major reason why so many Gazans are being killed and injured.
Sanders said on social media after the votes, "Today, more than 80% of the Democratic caucus stood with the American people and voted to block US military aid to [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu and his horrific, illegal wars."
"We are making progress," the senator continued. "When we started this effort there were just 11 votes, now there are 40."
Today, more than 80% of the Democratic caucus stood with the American people and voted to block U.S. military aid to Netanyahu and his horrific, illegal wars.
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— Senator Bernie Sanders (@sanders.senate.gov) April 15, 2026 at 5:05 PM
Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) said following Wednesday's votes:
A vote to approve arms sales to Israel at this time would be seen as a message of approval for [President Donald] Trump and Netanyahu’s disastrous war against Iran. I will not send that message.
Why would we send American military weapons that could prolong, escalate, or worsen this horrible situation in the Middle East? I say no more. The Senate should express its opposition to Trump and Netanyahu’s needless war in Iran and seek to stop it in any way it can.
There is no military solution to this crisis. We must solve this at the negotiating table. We must stop these arms sales and end this war now.
Matt Duss, executive vice president at the Center for International Policy (CIP) and a former adviser to Sanders, slammed Democrats like Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.) who voted to block the resolutions, for their "cowardly bullshit."
Duss noted that just last September, Coons said that "if there is no change in direction from the Israeli administration, for the first time I would seriously consider" voting to block arms transfers to Israel.
"Israeli behavior has only gotten worse since then," Duss said.
Wednesday's votes followed numerous previous failed attempts to limit US arms transfers to Israel since it launched its genocidal retaliation for the Hamas-led attack of October 7, 2023, which has left more than 250,000 Palestinians dead, wounded, or missing.
Dylan Williams, vice president for government affairs at CIP, said on X that "the fact that 40 of 47 Democratic senators voted to withhold military hardware from Israel is a new high water mark in holding Israel accountable for violating US and international law."
"It is still troubling that a few Democrats and all Republicans voted to supply the arms," he added.
The Biden and Trump administrations have lavished Israel with more than $21 billion in armed aid since October 2023, despite the International Criminal Court's issuance of arrest warrants for Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for alleged crimes against humanity and war crimes in Gaza.
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On Tax Day, Socially Conscious Millionaires Say Make Us Pay More!
"We cannot hand over the keys to our democracy to people who are unwilling to address the economic injustices that exist today," said Scott Ellis of the Patriotic Millionaires.
Apr 15, 2026
"Millionaires like me who want a rich, stable, free country demand an economy that ensures it. That begins with commonsense revenue raisers and tax reforms that stop the accumulation of oligarchic concentrations of wealth."
That's what Scott Ellis of the Patriotic Millionaire said Wednesday—Tax Day in the United States—as he gathered with members of various organizations, plus Sens. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) and Ed Markey (D-Mass.), as well as Reps. Don Beyer (D-Va,), Chris Deluzio (D-Pa.), and Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), for a "tax the rich" rally on Capitol Hill.
"While I've seen examples of the good that wealth can do, I have also seen all the ways it can lead to irreparable harm to our personal, political, moral, and societal well-being," said Ellis. "There is a level of wealth beyond which it threatens the health and even the existence of our democracy and our economy. We cannot hand over the keys to our democracy to people who are unwilling to address the economic injustices that exist today."
We’re taking our message across Washington, DC.Our mobile billboard will be circling Capitol Hill, the National Mall, and beyond—calling out billionaire tax avoidance and demanding higher taxes on the richest Americans.Because working people pay what they owe. It’s time the ultra-rich do too.
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— Patriotic Millionaires (@patrioticmillionaires.org) April 15, 2026 at 11:49 AM
Ellis said that he joined the lawmakers and others gathered "to urge our government leaders to deal with the money problem in our country head-on with solutions like those found in the Patriotic Millionaires' MONEY Agenda platform. Every time inequality reaches extraordinary levels, we create a vulnerability to authoritarianism where money becomes power. If we want to unrig our economy, we need a bold, surprisingly simple economic vision."
So far, two bills tied to the MONEY Agenda have been introduced in Congress: the Equal Tax Act, sponsored by Markey and Rep. Delia Ramirez (D-Ill.), and the Working Americans' Tax Cut Act, spearheaded by Van Hollen and Beyer.
"Teachers, nurses, and millions [of] working people are paying more while getting less because our tax code is rigged to reward wealth over work," Markey said in a statement. "The Equal Tax Act brings fairness to our tax code by requiring millionaires and billionaires to pay taxes on investment income the same way working people pay taxes. On Tax Day, I'm proud to work with Congresswoman Ramirez to fight for legislation that has the wealthy pay their fair share, and rewards work every bit as much as wealth."
Van Hollen, meanwhile, said Wednesday that "my Working Americans' Tax Cut Act creates a fairer system that ensures those who are stretching to make ends meet can keep more of what they earn, while asking the well-off to pitch in more. It's long past time that we rebalanced our tax code to put working people first—and promote greater opportunity and shared prosperity for all."
This country’s tax system is built to favor those at the top and squeeze every last dime out of those at the bottom. It’s time for a change to this rigged system.
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— Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal (@jayapal.house.gov) April 15, 2026 at 6:58 PM
Deluzio used the "Tax the Rich, Make Life Affordable" rally to call out the agenda of elected Republicans—who control the White House and both chambers of Congress—and promote another bill led by Jayapal, Rep. Brendan Boyle (D-Pa.), and Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.).
"Our government has a fiscal recklessness problem, and it looks like this: the richest people in the history of Earth facing lower tax rates than Americans who earn a paycheck," said Deluzio. "Yet that is the Republican plan—jack up the national debt and slash healthcare and more for the American people to pay for these huge tax giveaways to corporations and the ultrarich. We need a vastly different approach, like passing the Ultra-Millionaires Tax to get some sanity back into our tax system."
To illustrate just how broken the current system is, EJ Juárez, executive director of State Innovation Exchange, noted that "in 2025 alone, billionaire wealth grew 22%—from $6.7 trillion to $8.2 trillion—while working families see the cost of living go up, and wages too low. That is why SiX is working alongside state legislators across the country to lead the way."
"Across all 50 states, lawmakers are advancing bold solutions to make the ultrawealthy pay what they owe, close corporate loopholes, and build tax systems that actually lower costs and empower working families," Juárez said, nodding to initiatives in places such as California and Washington state. "Together, states are proving a better future is possible."
Beyond Washington, DC, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani partnered with Nobel laureate in economics Joseph Stiglitz and Paris School of Economics professor Gabriel Zucman for a Tax Day op-ed calling out the "rigged" US tax code.
"The idea that billionaires should pay higher tax rates than working people is not radical," the trio wrote for The Guardian. "What is radical is allowing a system where extreme wealth exists alongside widespread hardship—and where those billionaires can in effect opt out of contributing to the society that made their success possible."
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'This Fight Is Nowhere Near Over,' Privacy Advocates Warn After GOP Again Punts FISA Vote
"We won't stop fighting for a self-evident truth: The government should not be able to bypass the courts to surveil Americans," said one privacy campaigner.
Apr 15, 2026
A controversial federal spying power is set to expire next week, but Republican leadership in the US House of Representatives again delayed a reauthorization vote on Wednesday amid persistent demands for reforms from across the political spectrum.
President Donald Trump is pushing for a "clean" 18-month extension of Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), which allows for warrantless spying on the electronic communications of noncitizens located outside the United States.
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) "canceled a vote scheduled for Wednesday evening... amid a hard-liner rebellion, making it more likely the program could expire in five days—but said the House would try again Thursday," Politico reported.
As for whether there would be the necessary votes on Thursday to adopt a rule to proceed to consideration of the bill, Johnson said: "I think we will... We're working through some final details."
Although GOP leaders are plowing ahead with their reauthorization effort, Demand Progress senior policy adviser Hajar Hammado still welcomed the delay, declaring that "this time, fearmongering was not enough to overcome a bipartisan movement fighting for the privacy rights of all Americans."
"We rarely ever see the full force of the White House and the intelligence agencies fail to browbeat Congress into giving them what they want," Hammado noted. "That this happened today is a testament to the tireless work of our movement, which has been successfully bringing Republicans, Democrats, and Independents together for a common cause."
"Of course, this fight is nowhere near over," she added. "Speaker Johnson can still force a vote any time with extremely short notice, but our coalition feels the wind at our backs, and we won't stop fighting for a self-evident truth: The government should not be able to bypass the courts to surveil Americans."
Hammado's group has been a leader in the growing coalition calling for reforms—including for lawmakers to close the "data broker loophole" that intelligence and law enforcement agencies use to buy their way around the Fourth Amendment to the US Constitution, which is supposed to protect Americans against unreasonable searches and seizures.
It's not just congressional Republicans under pressure. Demand Progress Action and Fight for the Future took aim at House Intelligence Committee Ranking Member Jim Himes (D-Conn.)—who has signaled that he will support renewal and vote against adding privacy protections—with a Sunday print advertisement in the Connecticut Post.
We teamed up with @demandprogress.bsky.social to call out @jahimes.bsky.social for supporting Trump's mass surveillance efforts by trying to push through Section 702 without reform.
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— Fight for the Future (@fightforthefuture.org) April 14, 2026 at 8:38 PM
On Tuesday, Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus Chair Grace Meng (D-NY), Congressional Hispanic Caucus Chair Adriano Espaillat (D-NY), and Congressional Progressive Caucus Chair Greg Casar (D-Texas) spearheaded a letter to Democratic and Republican leaders in both chambers arguing that "this authority ought to include meaningful Fourth Amendment protections for Americans in its renewal package."
"The Trump administration has demonstrated an unparalleled appetite for collecting and exploiting Americans' personal data," the caucus leaders and members wrote. "The administration has built profiles on American citizens, demanded that artificial intelligence (AI) companies assist in mass domestic surveillance, and paid hundreds of millions of dollars to build a megadatabase of Americans' personal data. Without independent guardrails on Section 702, this administration has
repeatedly shown that it cannot be trusted to police its own use of this sweeping surveillance authority."
Over 30 civil society organizations—including Demand Progress, Fight for the Future, Indivisible, Project On Government Oversight, RootsAction, and more—endorsed the congressional letter. POGO policy counsel Donald Bell commended the leadership of the caucuses "in seeking real guardrails and accountability that protect our constitutional rights," while Hammado urged "all members of Congress to follow the lead" of the three groups.
Meanwhile, The American Prospect reported Monday that "the Congressional Black Caucus will quietly support an effort to reauthorize surveillance powers that were used to spy on Black Lives Matter activists in 2020," which "comes after Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-NY), the powerful ranking member of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, successfully lobbied CBC leadership to stand down on reforming the vast intelligence authority."
After publication, Meeks told the outlet that "I support FISA reauthorization, but the only vote I've been whipping is my war powers resolution to end the war in Iran. Whip operations are traditionally conducted by the ranking member of the committee that has jurisdiction over the legislation being considered. Any claim that I'm whipping the CBC on FISA is false."
In response to that reporting,Re Access Now, Fight for the Future, and STOP Spying NYC said in a joint statement that "if the heat of the glares aimed at Rep. Meeks right now could melt him, he'd be dripping like a snowman on the pavement in July. No one in Queens wants everybody in the federal government to have total access to the intimate details of their lives with the tap of a mouse."
Highlighting the danger of continuing the spying power sans privacy protections as Trump's Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers roam US streets, the groups said that "it is a total betrayal of the Fourth Amendment and the dignity of everyday people in this country to treat us all as if we are guilty until Big Brother Trump proves us innocent by watching our every move. And worse—it's impossible to predict how these troves of records may be weaponized in the future against racial justice activists, trans and queer families, abortion patients and providers, anti-war activists, or anyone who acts out of step with MAGA."
"It's supposed to be the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, not the Forever Indiscriminate Surveillance Act. Rep. Meeks' colleagues are proposing real safeguards to protect people against this indiscriminate government surveillance," the trio added. "He is not only failing his constituency, he is disrespecting them and putting them in danger. It's not too late for Rep. Meeks to get on the right side of history."
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