Congress Needs to Abolish The Filibuster and Pass HR1

Today, Republicans affirmed once again that their concerns lie squarely with suppressing the vote, not enfranchising it. For the third time, every single member of the party voted against debate on S1, or the For the People Act — a voting rights bill passed by the House months ago that would revolutionize the way our elections are conducted, with outsized impacts on the communities of color that are most disenfranchised by our current system. 

The downstream effects of the bill would be tremendous: automatic voter registration would enfranchise 50 million new voters, optional mail-in voting would make Election Day easier, and public financing would help boot big money out of politics. If we want to put more women in office, put more pro-choice judges on the bench, and put an end to the obscene abortion restrictions that have been coming out of state legislatures lately, then S1 is foundational. 

But as long as the filibuster remains intact, it has no chance of passing. It’s simple: every day that President Biden and Senate Democrats drag their feet on eliminating the filibuster is a day they’re choosing decorum over democracy. Enough is enough. It’s time for Democrats in Washington to stand up, fight back, and to do what we elected them to do. Eliminating the filibuster, passing S1, and strengthening the vote are critical first steps.