Letter precedes critical Rules Committee vote on pro-democracy For the People Act, or S.1, that would take critical steps to expand the right to vote

Lawmakers: “When we see democracy work, we should rejoice—not restrict.”

A vocal champion for passing federal voting rights legislation, Senator Warnock is a leading co-sponsor of S.1

Lawmakers: “As new Senators to the caucus, we have a timely perspective on the issues facing our democracy and the urgent need to address them. Voting rights are preservative of all our rights.”

Washington, D.C. — Today, in advance of a meeting of the Senate Rules Committee to consider the For the People Act (S.1), critical legislation that would expand the right to vote for eligible Americans and counter the anti-democratic voter suppression laws passed in states like Georgia, U.S. Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA) led all of his fellow freshman Democratic Senators, including U.S. Senators John Hickenlooper (D-CO), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Alex Padilla (D-CA), and Jon Ossoff (D-GA), in a letter to Rules Committee Chairwoman Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Ranking Member Roy Blunt (R-MO) to urge the committee to vote the bill out and advance the critical legislation to the Senate floor. 

“When we see democracy work, we should rejoice—not restrict. Yet since November’s record-breaking turnout, state legislators across the country have introduced over 360 bills in 47 states that would restrict voting rights. Six of these bills have been signed into law. Against this wave of voting restrictions, Congress must take urgent action to protect our democracy,” the lawmakers wrote. “The For the People Actis a bold package that includes the reforms essential to making our government work for all people, regardless of race, gender, or political party…”

The lawmakers’ letter continued:“As new Senators to the caucus, we have a timely perspective on the issues facing our democracy and the urgent need to address them. Voting rights are preservative of all our rights. In the face of attacks on voting throughout the country, we urge the members of the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration to protect our democracy and advance the For the People Act.” 

The letter follows the introduction of more than 360 state-level voter suppression proposals since the 2020 election, including enactment of SB 202 in Georgia—a new voter suppression law that according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution “changes the rules of elections in many ways,” including “making it harder to cast an absentee ballot.” Additionally, the AJC notes “[t]he most well-known parts of the law limit drop boxes, require different forms of ID for absentee voting and ban handing food and drinks to voters waiting in line,” and also that additional provisions of the law “give greater control over elections to Georgia’s GOP majority after Republican Donald Trump lost the state to Democrat Joe Biden in November’s presidential election.” 

READ THE FULL LETTER HERE.

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