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For Immediate Release
June, 23 2021, 01:18pm EDT
Contact:
Email:,media@campaignlegal.org
The Senate Must Hear from American People About Urgent Need to Pass Election Legislation
Yesterday, the leadership of the U.S. Senate brought the For the People Act to the floor for a vote on whether to begin debate - an event that marked just the beginning of the battle to pass the bill in the Senate. Although there were 50 votes in favor yesterday, with the Vice President on hand to break the tie and provide the 51st vote, current Senate rules require a supermajority of 60 votes to end the Republican filibuster and begin debate.
WASHINGTON
Yesterday, the leadership of the U.S. Senate brought the For the People Act to the floor for a vote on whether to begin debate - an event that marked just the beginning of the battle to pass the bill in the Senate. Although there were 50 votes in favor yesterday, with the Vice President on hand to break the tie and provide the 51st vote, current Senate rules require a supermajority of 60 votes to end the Republican filibuster and begin debate.
While opening debate on the bill was therefore blocked yesterday, Rules Chairwoman Klobuchar announced a series of hearings on critical voting, campaign finance, and ethics reforms, which will demonstrate the need for this critical legislation. Senator Joe Manchin, who voted in favor of beginning debate on the House-passed For the People Act, had previously stated he would not support the House bill as written but would support many crucial elements of it and wanted to work with Republicans to find bipartisan support for amendments. No Republicans voted with him to start the debate and amendment process yesterday.
Trevor Potter, president of Campaign Legal Center (CLC), and a Republican Former Commissioner of the Federal Election Commission issued the following statement urging the Senate to pass this legislation, which enjoys 83% support among Americans - including 74% of Republican voters and 73% of Independent voters:
"The fight has just begun to pass needed election reform. The basis for a compromise has to maintain the key features of the For the People Act, as Senator Manchin and Democratic Leader Senator Schumer have stated. Inaction is not an option when it comes to protecting Americans' fundamental freedom to vote. The need for action on this landmark legislation becomes clearer each day, especially in light of the For the People Act being blocked from receiving an up or down vote.
Not only will this bill ensure everyone's voice is heard and everyone's vote is counted by creating national standards for voter accessibility, it will shine a light on dark money to prevent billionaires and foreign actors from secretly buying elections and guarantees that congressional districts will be drawn to give fair representation for all. We all deserve a government that is responsive and accountable to voters.
The popularity of reforms contained within the For the People Act cannot be ignored. A resounding majority of voters across the political spectrum support this legislation because it puts voters before politicians. The Senate must hear from constituents about the importance of the For the People Act so we have the momentum needed to pass this bill and combat the crisis of confidence in our government."
According to a CLC analysis, this bill draws on provisions that have long garnered the support of Democrats and Republicans.
Campaign Legal Center (CLC) advances democracy through law, fighting for every American's right to participate in the democratic process. CLC uses tactics such as litigation, policy advocacy, communications and partnerships to win victories that result in a more transparent, accountable and inclusive democracy.
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Labor Leaders Cheer House Vote to Undo 'Single-Largest Act of Union Busting in American History'
"President Trump betrayed workers," said the head of the AFL-CIO. "Working people delivered a rare bipartisan majority to stop the administration's unprecedented attacks on our freedoms."
Dec 11, 2025
US labor leaders on Thursday celebrated the House of Representatives' bipartisan vote in favor of a bill that would reverse President Donald Trump's attack on the collective bargaining rights of 1 million federal workers.
Trump's sweeping assault on federal workers has included March and August executive orders targeting their rights under the guise of protecting national security. In response, Congressmen Jared Golden (D-Maine) and Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.) spearheaded the fight for the Protect America’s Workforce Act. They recently collected enough signatures to force the 231-195 vote, in which 20 Republicans joined all Democrats present to send the bill to the Senate.
"The right to be heard in one's workplace may appear basic, but it carries great weight—it ensures that the people who serve our nation have a seat at the table when decisions shape their work and their mission," Fitzpatrick said after the vote.
"This bill moves us closer to restoring that fundamental protection for nearly 1 million federal employees, many of them veterans," he added. "I will always fight for our workers, and I call on the Senate to help ensure these protections are fully reinstated."
American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) president Liz Shuler joined union leaders in applauding the lower chamber on Thursday and calling on the Senate to follow suit. She said in a statement that "President Trump betrayed workers when he tried to rip away our collective bargaining rights. In these increasingly polarized times, working people delivered a rare bipartisan majority to stop the administration's unprecedented attacks on our freedoms."
"We commend the Republicans and Democrats who stood with workers and voted to reverse the single-largest act of union busting in American history," she continued. "Americans trust unions more than either political party. As we turn to the Senate—where the bill already has bipartisan support—working people are calling on the politicians we elected to stand with us, even if it means standing up to the union-busting boss in the White House."
Everett Kelley, national president of the American Federation of Government Employees, the largest federal workers union, similarly praised the members of Congress who "demonstrated their support for the nonpartisan civil service, for the dedicated employees who serve our country with honor and distinction, and for the critical role that collective bargaining has in fostering a safe, protective, and collaborative workplace."
"This vote marks an historic achievement for the House's bipartisan pro-labor majority, courageously led by Reps. Jared Golden of Maine and Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania," he said. "We need to build on this seismic victory in the House and get immediate action in the Senate—and also ensure that any future budget bills similarly protect collective bargaining rights for the largely unseen civil servants who keep our government running."
American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees president Lee Saunders also applauded the House's passage of "a bill that strengthens federal workers' freedoms on the job so they can continue to keep our nation safe, healthy, and strong."
"This bill not only provides workers' critical protections from an administration that has spent the past year relentlessly attacking them," he noted, "but it also ensures that our communities are served by the most qualified public service workers—not just those with the best political connections."
Randy Erwin, the head of the National Federation of Federal Employees, declared that "this is an incredible testament to the strength of federal employees and the longstanding support for their fundamental right to organize and join a union."
"The president cannot unilaterally strip working people of their constitutional freedom of association. In bipartisan fashion, Congress has asserted their authority to hold the president accountable for the biggest attack on workers that this country has ever seen," he added, thanking the House supporters and pledging to work with "senators from both parties to ensure this bill is signed into law."
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New Low for Fetterman: Senator Privately Urged Pardon for Netanyahu
"For someone who claims to care about hostages, going to bat for a leader who sacrificed them for his own political survival... is the height of cynicism," said one Israeli critic.
Dec 11, 2025
US Sen. John Fetterman recently asked Israel's president to pardon Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu—who is on trial in his country for alleged bribery, fraud, and breach of trust—Talking Points Memo revealed on Thursday.
In a previously unreported December 2 letter sent to Israeli President Isaac Herzog and obtained by TPM, Fetterman (D-Pa.) asserted, “In a world this dangerous, I question whether any democracy can afford to have its head of government spending valuable hours, day after day, in a courtroom rather than the situation room."
“I believe there is a strong case to be made for a pardon—not to erase the past, but to secure the future," Fetterman added.
Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump have also asked Herzog to pardon the beleaguered Israeli prime minister, who in addition to facing domestic criminal charges is also a fugitive from the International Criminal Court, which last year issued a warrant for his arrest for alleged crimes against humanity and war crimes in Gaza.
Scoop, w the incomparable @kateriga.bsky.social: John Fetterman asked Israel's President to pardon Netanyahu in a previously unreported letter talkingpointsmemo.com/news/fetterm...
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— Josh Kovensky (@joshkovensky.bsky.social) December 11, 2025 at 10:03 AM
Fetterman has taken more than $370,000 in campaign contributions from the pro-Israel lobby, including the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, according to AIPAC Tracker. He has been an ardent supporter of Israel's US-backed genocidal war on Gaza, which has left more than 250,000 Palestinians dead, wounded, or missing and 2 million others forcibly displaced, starved, or sickened.
In addition to repeatedly opposing calls by progressive members of his own party for an arms embargo on Israel, Fetterman has amplified Israeli claims regarding the war, and even giddily accepted a silver-plated beeper gifted by Netanyahu following the September 2024 pager bombings that killed at least 20 people in Lebanon, including children.
Asked Thursday about his letter to Herzog, Fetterman said, "I fully support it" and called the TPM's reporting "a pointless distraction."
“I know you guys use things like leaks, but I don’t know who did that," he told TPM reporters Kate Riga and Josh Kovensky, who broke news of the letter.
Responding to theTPM article, Israeli journalist Etan Nechin said on social media that "for someone who claims to care about hostages, going to bat for a leader who sacrificed them for his own political survival... is the height of cynicism"—a reference to allegations that Netanyahu prolonged the war, and thus the release of the more than 250 Israelis and others abducted by Hamas during the October 7, 2023 attack, in order to delay his corruption trial.
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Cold Weather Kills Baby in Flooded Gaza Tent as UN Warns of Crisis for Mothers and Children
"The pattern is clear—malnourished mothers, giving birth to underweight or premature babies, who die in Gaza's neonatal intensive care units or survive, only to face malnutrition themselves," said a UNICEF spokesperson.
Dec 11, 2025
Over two years into Israel's genocidal assault on and blockade of the Gaza Strip, the death toll continued to rise on Thursday, with local health officials and relatives confirming that 8-month-old Rahaf Abu Jazar died of exposure after floodwaters hit her family's tent in Khan Younis.
Her death came as the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the UN Human Rights Office in the occupied Palestinian territory continued to sound the alarm about conditions for mothers and children, including infants like Abu Jazar.
As CNN reported Thursday:
Weeping and caressing the lifeless Rahaf in her arms, the baby's mother, Hejar Abu Jazar, kept ululating in despair. She said she had fed her daughter the previous night.
"She was completely fine. I breastfed her last night. Then all of a sudden, I found her freezing and shivering. She was healthy, my sweetheart," she cried.
"When we woke up, we found the rain over her and the wind on her, and the girl died of cold suddenly," the mother told Reuters. "There was nothing wrong with her. Oh, the fire in my heart, the fire in my heart, oh my life."
Citing municipal and civil defense officials, the news agency also noted that the storm flooded most tent encampments across Gaza, leading to thousands of calls for help that largely went unanswered due to fuel shortages and damage to equipment such as bulldozers tied to Israel's blockade and bombardment of the exclave since the Hamas-led October 7, 2023 attack.
After more than two years of war, Hamas and Israel struck a ceasefire deal this past October, though hundreds of alleged Israeli violations have resulted in at least 383 Palestinian deaths and 1,002 injuries. As of Thursday, the Gaza Ministry of Health put the totals at 70,373 dead and 171,079 injured, though with thousands missing, those are likely undercounts.
In addition to killing over 70,000 Palestinians, Israel "has also damaged or destroyed 94% of Gaza's hospitals, largely denying women access to essential healthcare, including reproductive healthcare," the UN Human Rights Office noted in a Thursday statement. "The Israeli blockade has also prevented the entry of objects indispensable to the survival of civilians, including medical supplies and nutrients required to sustain pregnancies and ensure safe childbirth."
"As a result, women were three times more likely to die from childbirth and three times more likely to miscarry in Gaza by October 2024 compared to before October 7, 2023," the office said. "Newborn deaths have increased, including at least 21 babies who died on their first day of life as of June 30, 2025. And births have dropped by a staggering 41% in the first half of 2025 compared to the same period in 2022."
Dr. Ambereen Sleemi, an American gynecologist, told the UN office about her experience volunteering in July at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, the largest medical facility in southern Gaza.
"As we did our rounds, bombs were going off in the background. One time, a nurse was shot in the head through the window in Nasser," she said. "Sometimes quadcopters would come in and try to shoot nurses or literally chase them through the hospital corridors."
"I cared for pregnant women who had been shot in various locations, including the abdomen," the doctor continued. "Many women were simply too injured to survive. If their injuries did not claim their lives, then sepsis often did, as there were not enough medical supplies or antibiotics to treat the preventable infections that followed."
"Almost every pregnant woman I treated who had other children said she had already lost a child in the war," Sleemi added. "The collective pain and sorrow were overwhelming and ever-present."
Some of them have died of hunger. While speaking with reporters at UN headquarters in Geneva earlier this week, Tess Ingram, UNICEF communication manager, highlighted how the hunger crisis in Gaza is impacting mothers and young kids.
"At least 165 children are reported to have died painful, preventable deaths related to malnutrition during the war," Ingram said. "But far less reported has been the scale of malnutrition among pregnant and breastfeeding women, and the devastating domino effect that has had on thousands of newborns."
"The pattern is clear—malnourished mothers, giving birth to underweight or premature babies, who die in Gaza's neonatal intensive care units or survive, only to face malnutrition themselves or potential lifelong medical complications," she continued, recalling some of the newborns she saw in the strip's hospitals, "their tiny chests heaving with the effort of staying alive."
Ingram stressed that "low birth weight infants are about 20 times more likely to die than infants of normal weight. They need special care, which many of the hospitals in Gaza have struggled to provide due to the destruction of the health system, the death and displacement of staff, and impediments by Israeli authorities that prevented some essential medical supplies from entering the strip."
She also shared the story of meeting a mother at a neonatal intensive care unit in Gaza City two weeks ago. The woman, Fatma, was there to see her baby, Mohammed, who was born premature and weighed only 3.3 pounds.
According to Ingram:
Fatma told me that unlike her first pregnancy, when she had access to antenatal checkups, vitamins, and nutritious food, "this pregnancy has been full of displacement, lack of food, malnutrition, war, and fear." She said she was malnourished for three months of the pregnancy, displaced three times, and her young daughter and husband were killed, two months apart, by airstrikes.
I have spent many months in Gaza over the past two years, and I see and hear the generational impacts of the conflict on mothers and their infants almost every day; in hospitals, nutrition clinics, and family tents. It is less visible than blood or injury, but it is ubiquitous. It is everywhere.
I have lost count of the number of parents like Fatma who have sobbed while telling me what happened to them, wrecked by how powerless they are to protect their children in the face of indiscriminate destruction and deprivation. Generations of families, including those born into the ceasefire, have been forever altered by what was inflicted upon them.
"And the fear must end," she declared. "This ceasefire should offer families safety, not more loss. More than 70 children have been killed in the eight weeks since the ceasefire began. The ongoing attacks and the killing of children must stop immediately."
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