Center for Popular Democracy Action Condemns Senate Republicans’ Use of Filibuster to Block Debate on For The People Act
Posted on June 22, 2021 by CPD Action
For Immediate Release
June 22, 2021
Contact:
press@populardemocracy.org
646-596-1501
Statement issued by Jennifer Epps-Addison, Co-Executive Director of the Center for Popular Democracy Action:
"Just days ago, Juneteenth reminded us we are on a long march toward freedom as we work to build an inclusive democracy where our leaders are accountable to the people and deliver the change our communities need. But today, Senate Republicans once again showed us how much they fear the strength of our voices and the power of our votes by blocking debate on the For the People Act (S1), using the same loophole that blocked an investigation into the white supremacist attack on the Capitol. The GOP is clinging to power and the past, while we move toward a multi-racial democracy that represents us all.
Passing S1 is essential for the health of our democracy, and we applaud the Democrats who stood united in support of it. The bill would ensure everyone’s voice is heard and everyone’s vote is counted by creating national standards for voter accessibility, preventing billionaires from buying elections and guaranteeing that congressional districts are drawn to give fair representation for all.
Today is just the beginning of the battle. We deserve a government that represents all of us equally, including Black, Brown, and Indigenous communities, and we’ll keep fighting every day until that happens. Our people have struggled for generations to exercise our freedom to vote. This summer, we’ll organize our communities and mobilize more people than ever in DC and across the country until Senate Republicans come to realize that a legislative loophole can’t silence the sound of our voices in the streets or at the polls.
As we demonstrated after the 2020 election, we don’t back down until the will of the people prevails because we know that our leaders work for us, not the other way around. The time is now for Congress to get to work, eliminate the filibuster and pass the For the People Act fully intact. We deserve to safely and freely cast our ballots. We deserve a democracy shaped by people, not by the undue influence of big money in politics. It’s time we have our voices heard. We voted in record numbers and gave this Congress a mandate to act for the people. This democracy belongs to us — and together, we will build a better future.”
###
ABOUT CENTER FOR POPULAR DEMOCRACY ACTION
Center for Popular Democracy Action promotes equity, opportunity, and a dynamic democracy in partnership with innovative base-building organizations, organizing networks and alliances, and progressive unions across the country. CPD Action builds the strength and capacity of democratic organizations to envision and advance a pro-worker, pro-immigrant, racial justice agenda.
