May, 28 2021, 12:00am EDT
Advocates Weigh in Following Bipartisan Jan. 6 Commission Vote: It's Time to Eliminate the Filibuster and Protect Our Democracy
"The path forward is clear: The filibuster must be eliminated as a weapon that a minority of senators can wield to veto popular democracy-protecting bills"
WASHINGTON
Following the Senate Republicans filibuster of legislation to create a bipartisan commission investigating the January 6 insurrection, Indivisible, Fix Our Senate, and 56 other organizations representing millions of people across the country released the following statement calling on Senate Democrats to finally eliminate the filibuster:
"This is no longer a debate about hypotheticals: Senate Republicans have filibustered a bipartisan bill to form a bipartisan commission investigating an attack on their workplace and the seat of our democracy. Despite Senate Democrats 'imploring' Republicans to work with them to get this done, Sen. McConnell and his caucus swatted away every attempt at good faith bipartisan work and committed themselves to partisan obstruction. Now the path forward is clear: The filibuster must be eliminated as a weapon that a minority of senators can wield to veto popular democracy-protecting bills.
"Democrats won the White House, Senate and House on promises to protect our elections, stand up to special interests, and restore our democracy - and they have a mandate for action on the January 6th commission, the For The People Act, and other bills protecting and expanding our democracy. After seeing obstruction in action, Senate Democrats have a choice - they can protect the filibuster or deliver on critical and popular policies to protect our democracy. They won't be able to do both."
At the same time GOP legislatures are attacking voting access in states across the country, some Senate Republicans admit there is nothing Democrats can do to get their support for the For The People Act, crucial legislation to ensure voting access and election integrity. Senate Minority Leader McConnell has called blocking the For the People Act his "top priority" and is committed to using the filibuster as a weapon to keep our democracy rigged. Investigating an insurrection and protecting voting rights should not be controversial or partisan legislation, and a minority of Senators should not be able to block such bills.
Progressive momentum and support for eliminating the filibuster continues to build. Last week over 250,000 people joined Senator Merkley, Senator Warren, and advocates and activists across the country in a virtual town hall calling for the elimination of the filibuster. And Fix our Senate and Indivisible joined New York activists in pressuring Senators to end the filibuster with #FilibusterFriday, a weekly momentum-building effort on social media, along with over a dozen partner organizations. The effort includes an action center to help grassroots activists email, call, and tweet their senators to end the filibuster to pass democracy reforms. Last week's efforts reached over 13 million Twitter users.
The statement was signed by the following organizations
America's Voice
Athens County's Future Action Network (OH)
Battle Born Collective
Blue Wave Postcard Movement
Broward for Progress
Businesses for a Livable Climate
CA Businesses for a Livable Climate
Call to Action Colorado
CatholicNetwork US
Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW)
Clean Elections Texas
CO Businesses for a Livable Climate
Colorado Small Business Coalition
Common Defense
Communications Workers of America
DC Vote
Demand Justice
Demand Progress
DemCast USA
Equal Justice Society
Evergreen Action
Fix Our Senate
For All
Free Speech For People
Indivisible
Mainers for Accountable Leadership
Mid-Ohio Valley Climate Action
MoveOn Civic Action
New Energy Economy
No Dem Left Behind
North Range Concerned Citizens
Oil Change U.S.
Our Revolution
Our Revolution Michigan
People's Action
People's Parity Project
Progress Arizona
Progressive Democrats of America (PDA)
RapidShift Network
RepresentUs New Mexico
Rise Up WV
Secure Elections Network
Spirit of the Sun
Stand Up America
Take Back the Court
The Borneo Project
The Workers Circle
UltraViolet Action
Unite North Metro Denver
Voices for Progress
Vote Save America
Wall of Women
Women's March
WV Citizen Action
Working Families Party
Indivisible Project (501c4) drives coordinated campaigns, powering the grassroots Indivisible movement to defeat the rightwing takeover of American government and win an inclusive democracy and bold progressive policies.
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