Fix Our Senate today announced a new letter signed by 60 organizations urging Senate Democrats to address the filibuster to pass voting rights legislation, just as they recently found a way around the filibuster on the debt ceiling. The letter arrives ahead of Democrats’ promised January push on voting rights and Senate rules.
Key excerpts from the new letter include:
“[W]hen it became clear that Senate Democrats were engaged in a serious conversation about Senate rules reform, Senator McConnell caved in October and helped pass a short-term debt limit extension, and then caved once again in December by negotiating a filibuster carve-out for the debt limit.
Unfortunately, while Senator McConnell and his Republican caucus allowed the filibuster to be eliminated for this latest debt limit extension, they remain committed to abusing the filibuster to obstruct democracy legislation, such as electoral college reforms, and voting rights legislation, such as the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act and the Freedom to Vote Act.
Just as we needed to extend the debt limit to avoid economic calamity, we need to pass federal democracy and voting legislation to safeguard our democracy. And just as you had earlier been prepared to recognize that the U.S. economy is more important than the filibuster, we urge you to make a similar assessment when it comes to our democracy and our right to vote.”
The full letter from 60 organizations is available online here and is included below, followed by the full list of 60 signers:
January 3, 2022
Dear members of the Senate Democratic Caucus,
On behalf of the millions of Americans we represent, we thank you for your commitment to responsible governance and your rejection of Republicans’ debt ceiling partisanship and obstruction. Thanks to your resolve during both the October standoff and again this month, you were successful in staving off economic calamity while revealing Senator Mitch McConnell’s animating priority: to maintain the filibuster and his ability to obstruct Democrats’ other essential priorities.
By initially insisting that Democrats raise the debt ceiling on their own while filibustering attempts to pursue a long-term extension, Senator McConnell and his Republican caucus created completely unnecessary economic uncertainty. It was a dangerous escalation in the already partisan and gridlocked Senate.
However, when it became clear that Senate Democrats were engaged in a serious conversation about Senate rules reform, Senator McConnell caved in October and helped pass a short-term debt limit extension, and then caved once again in December by negotiating a filibuster carve-out for the debt limit.
Unfortunately, while Senator McConnell and his Republican caucus allowed the filibuster to be eliminated for this latest debt limit extension, they remain committed to abusing the filibuster to obstruct democracy legislation, such as electoral college reforms, and voting rights legislation, such as the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act and the Freedom to Vote Act.
Just as we needed to extend the debt limit to avoid economic calamity, we need to pass federal democracy and voting legislation to safeguard our democracy. And just as you had earlier been prepared to recognize that the U.S. economy is more important than the filibuster, we urge you to make a similar assessment when it comes to our democracy and our right to vote.
We commend your ongoing resolve and unity and thank you for your leadership and commitment to delivering on behalf of the American people.
Signed,
- Fix Our Senate
- 20/20 Vision DC
- American Muslim Civil Rights Center
- Battle Born Collective
- Bend the Arc: Jewish Action
- Black Voters Matter Fund
- Blue Future
- Broward for Progress
- Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW)
- Clean Elections Texas
- Climate Hawks Vote
- DemCast USA
- Demos
- Dutchess County Progressive Action Alliance
- Equal Citizens
- Equal Justice Society
- Evergreen Action
- Faith in Public Life
- Feminists in Action Los Angeles
- Friends of the Earth
- Future coalition
- Indivisible
- Indivisible East Bay
- Indivisible Greater Grand Rapids
- Indivisible Huron Valley
- Indivisible Livingston
- Indivisible Northern Nevada
- Indivisible Northville & Neighbors
- Indivisible ReSisters Walnut Creek
- Indivisible Sonoma County
- Kindling
- League of Conservation Voters
- Leelanau Indivisible
- Long Beach Alliance for Clean Energy
- Mainers for Accountable Leadership Action
- March For Our Lives
- March On
- Mid-Ohio Valley Climate Action
- National Council of Jewish Women
- National Network for Immigrant and Refugee Rights
- NextGen America
- Our Revolution
- People’s Action
- Pride at Work
- Progress Arizona
- R2H Action [Right to Health]
- RepresentUs New Mexico
- Rise Up To Action
- Secure Elections Network
- SEE-LA (Social Eco Education-LA)
- Social Security Works
- Southern Christian Coalition
- Stand Up America
- SWIM (Statewide Indivisible Michigan)
- The Workers Circle
- Traverse Indivisible
- Union for Reform Judaism
- United We Dream Action
- Women of Michigan Action Network (WOMAN)
- WV Citizen Action