Just Democracy: “Senate Democrats can no longer divorce the filibuster from the promises and issues they ran on.”

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Senate Republicans filibustered the Freedom to Vote Act, the compromise voting rights bill aimed to address gerrymandering, voting access and more. Senate Republicans blocked the legislation after Senator Manchin made an effort to secure ten Senate Republicans to vote in support of the bill. 

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

“Black and Brown voters are consistently asked to compromise against our own rights so Congress can move more palatable versions of legislation forward. But even compromise bills don’t stand a chance with the filibuster in place. We’ve seen this obstructionist cycle play out with background checks for guns, and now we’re facing the same fate with voting rights for democracy. Any compromise isn’t worth the paper it’s written on if Senate Republicans remain committed to the Jim Crow filibuster.”

 

It’s clear from today’s filibuster that Senate Republicans are committed to disenfranchising Black and Brown voters by any means necessary. The Republican-led assault on our democracy has dangerously grown with more states passing anti-voting bills and releasing maps to gerrymander districts. 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