Sen. Schumer must continue standing up to right-wing obstruction
Albany, NY— In response to today’s vote in the U.S. Senate on the For the People Act (H.R. 1/S. 1), Rosemary Rivera, co-executive director of Citizen Action of New York said:
“With all 50 Senate Democrats united behind the For the People Act, Senator Schumer is showing that guaranteeing the right to vote is Congress’ number one priority. We have to get it done and it’s up to Senator Schumer to make sure it happens. The For the People Act strengthens and protects our democracy, lifts up the voices of everyday people and makes sure that members of Congress are representative of and responsive to their constituents, not corporations and the ultra-rich.
“Senator Schumer must continue to use all of his power to pass the For the People Act. Too much is at stake, especially for Black and Brown people across the country whose right to vote is under attack, to let a right-wing minority undermine the will of the people by filibustering the most important civil rights legislation of our time.”
The For the People Act would protect and expand the right to vote for every eligible voter by:
-
Modernizing voter registration and make automatic voter registration the standard nationally
-
Creating a small donor matching program for Congressional elections to amplify the voices of everyday people in our elections
-
Restoring the full protections of the Voting Rights Act and roll back restrictive voting measures and discriminatory changes to voting rules that disproportionately target Black and Brown people
-
Restoring federal voting rights for people with past convictions
-
Preventing partisan and discriminatory gerrymandering