Date: 2024-12-21 Page is: DBtxt003.php txt00021171
US Politics
A direct message to Joe Manchin
Not one of the 50 Republicans in the United States Senate voted just to allow debate to begin on the Freedom To Vote Act.
Original article:
Burgess COMMENTARY
Peter Burgess
Not one.
Not one of the 50 Republicans in the United States Senate voted just to allow debate to begin on the Freedom To Vote Act.
Here’s the thing:
The Freedom To Vote Act was drafted *specifically* to satisfy demands from Democratic Senator Joe Manchin for a compromise bill he insisted would appeal to his Republican colleagues (enough of them to overcome their party’s habitual exploitation of the filibuster, anyway).But there are exactly zero Republican partners to be found for legislation to protect our democracy.
That’s because of the iron grip of Mitch McConnell.
And the cult of Trump, which requires Republicans who know better to stand by as Trumpist state legislatures prepare to overturn election results in 2022 and beyond.
And because the Republican Party has increasingly based its political strategy on voter suppression, gerrymandering, and Big Money — all things the Freedom To Vote Act would address. There is only a single path remaining to pass The Freedom To Vote Act and protect our democracy from current Republican attempts to sabotage it.
Senate Democrats MUST unite to set aside the filibuster — at least for the purpose of passing laws to keep our democracy safe. An outdated Senate procedure cannot be deemed more important than safeguarding our elections and preserving our very democracy.
Tell Senator Joe Manchin:
You tried. Your Republican colleagues in the Senate have demonstrated, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that they simply won’t take action to protect our democracy. It should be clear that Senate Democrats must unite to set aside the filibuster — at least for the purpose of passing laws to keep our democracy safe.Robert Weissman, President of Public Citizen
Public Citizen | 1600 20th Street NW | Washington DC 20009 | Unsubscribe