Just Democracy: “Senator Manchin searched for ten Republicans to support voting rights legislation, but Republican Senators willing to break with Sen. McConnell and stand on the right side of history simply don’t exist.”

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Senator Schumer filed for cloture on the Freedom to Vote Act, a compromise voting rights bill that would eliminate partisan gerrymandering, undo current voter suppression bills while blocking future ones, and create a federal right to vote. The bill will receive a full floor vote on Wednesday, when it will surely be blocked by the filibuster. 

Stephany Spaulding, Just Democracy Spokesperson and Founder of Truth and Conciliation, issued the following statement in response:

“The Freedom to Vote Act went through endless debate and compromises, but even a compromise bill won’t win 60 votes in our broken Senate. Republicans are committed to using every tool to prevent Black and Brown voters from accessing the ballot box, and the Jim Crow filibuster is the ultimate weapon to block progress. 

Black and Brown voters are tired of the same scene playing out over and over: we launch Herculean mobilizations to get Democrats elected. Democrats bring legislation to the floor that would benefit communities of color, and Republicans won’t even engage in a good faith debate. The same gridlock will happen on Wednesday. 

Senator Manchin searched for ten Republicans to support voting rights legislation, but Republican Senators willing to break with Sen. McConnell and stand on the right side of history simply don’t exist. Senate Democrats can no longer divorce the filibuster from the promises and issues they ran on — they must act with urgency to get rid of the filibuster.”

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About Just Democracy

Just Democracy is an intersectional coalition with racial justice at its core — uplifting voices from all walks of American life that are too often left out of the conversation. The coalition is made up of over 40 Black and Brown-led organizations working across issue areas. It mobilizes thousands who know that advancing social and racial justice issues first requires bold structural democracy reform.

To speak with a Just Democracy spokesperson, please email press@justdemocracy.us