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The Progressive

NewsWire

A project of Common Dreams

For Immediate Release

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

  1. America's Voice

  2. Athens County's Future Action Network (OH)

  3. Battle Born Collective

  4. Blue Wave Postcard Movement

  5. Broward for Progress

  6. Businesses for a Livable Climate

  7. CA Businesses for a Livable Climate

  8. Call to Action Colorado

  9. CatholicNetwork US

  10. Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW)

  11. Clean Elections Texas

  12. CO Businesses for a Livable Climate

  13. Colorado Small Business Coalition

  14. Common Defense

  15. Communications Workers of America

  16. DC Vote

  17. Demand Justice

  18. Demand Progress

  19. DemCast USA

  20. Equal Justice Society

  21. Evergreen Action

  22. Fix Our Senate

  23. For All

  24. Free Speech For People

  25. Friends of the Earth

  26. Indivisible

  27. Mainers for Accountable Leadership

  28. Mid-Ohio Valley Climate Action

  29. MoveOn Civic Action

  30. New Energy Economy

  31. No Dem Left Behind

  32. North Range Concerned Citizens

  33. Oil Change U.S.

  34. Our Revolution

  35. Our Revolution Michigan

  36. People's Action

  37. People's Parity Project

  38. Progress Arizona

  39. Progressive Democrats of America (PDA)

  40. Public Citizen

  41. RapidShift Network

  42. RepresentUs New Mexico

  43. Rise Up WV

  44. Secure Elections Network

  45. Sierra Club

  46. Spirit of the Sun

  47. Stand Up America

  48. Take Back the Court

  49. The Borneo Project

  50. The Workers Circle

  51. UltraViolet Action

  52. Unite North Metro Denver

  53. Voices for Progress

  54. Vote Save America

  55. Wall of Women

  56. Women's March

  57. WV Citizen Action

  58. 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.