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FOR THE PEOPLE ACT OF 2021
______
speech of
HON. ZOE LOFGREN
of california
in the house of representatives
Tuesday, March 2, 2021
Ms. LOFGREN. Madam Speaker, I rise to include in the Record the following letters of support from religious organizations for H.R. 1, as amended.
Faithful Democracy,
December 4, 2020.Hon. Nancy Pelosi,Speaker of the House of Representatives,Washington, DC.Hon. Kevin McCarthy,Minority Leader, House of Representatives,Washington, DC.Hon. Mitch McConnell,Majority Leader, U.S. Senate,Washington, DC.Hon. Charles E. ``Chuck'' Schumer,Minority Leader, U.S. Senate,Washington, DC.
Dear Speaker Pelosi, Leader McConnell, Leader Schumer and Leader McCarthy: The Faithful Democracy interfaith coalition writes in support of the For the People Act, the transformational democracy reform bill that would help return power to everyday Americans. While we represent a diversity of beliefs and traditions, we unite around the common goal of creating a healthier, thriving democracy. The thirty national faith-based organizations and congregations below urge Congress to prioritize passage of this pro-voter, anti-corruption legislation in the 117th Congress to advance the nation towards that goal.
We recognize that, on a practical level, only a healthy, well-functioning democracy has the capacity to attend to the pressing needs that our faith calls us to address: the COVID pandemic, systemic racism, climate change, hunger, violence, poverty, healthcare and more. The challenges that face our nation are serious and deeply concerning--and include partisan gridlock among policy-makers. Faithful Democracy partners are committed to structural democracy reforms that lay a solid foundation for rebuilding our nation.
Democratic governance is the best existing system to peacefully hold a diversity of ideas, to enable healthy compromise among competing interests and to instill a sense of belonging among all its members. However, ours falls short since our democratic systems are open to manipulation by those seeking to amass power or undercut the common good for special interests.
The 2020 election has underscored the urgent need for transformational democracy reform. Across the nation, Americans experienced unprecedented voter suppression, historic levels of dark money spent to drown out the voices of everyday Americans, and rampant ethical abuses by special interests. The comprehensive For the People Act addresses many of these problems, opening the door for legislative solutions. The bill has three overarching goals: protect and strengthen the sacred right to vote, end the dominance of big money in politics, and implement anti-corruption, pro-ethics measures to clean up government.
This historic legislation passed the House of Representatives by a wide margin in March 2019 and was cosponsored by 46 members of the Senate. President-elect Joe Biden has stated that a ``first priority'' of his administration will be to lead on a comprehensive set of democracy solutions like those reflected in the For the People Act. House and Senate Democratic leaders have similarly said they will prioritize this once-in-a-generation legislation. The undersigned organizations with the Faithful Democracy coalition urge Congress to take bipartisan action on the election reform, anti-corruption and voting rights provisions encompassed in the For The People Act as a first priority in the new Congressional session.
Alliance of Baptists; American Friends Service Committee; Church World Service; Congregation of Our Lady of Charity of the Good Shepherd, U.S. Provinces; Congregation of Sisters of St. Agnes; Creation Justice Ministries; Evangelical Lutheran Church in America; Faith in Public Life; Faithful America; Franciscan Action Network; Friends Committee on National Legislation; Islamic Society of North America (ISNA); Hindus for Human Rights; Leadership Conference of Women Religious; Mormon Women for Ethical Government.
National Advocacy Center of the Sisters of the Good Shepherd; National Council of Churches; National Council of Jewish Women; NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice; Pax Christi USA; Poligon Education Fund; Presbyterian Church
(U.S.A.), Office of Public Witness; Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice; Sadhana: Coalition of Progressive Hindus; Sisters of Mercy of the Americas Justice Team; Society of the Sacred Heart United States Canada Province; The United Methodist Church--General Board of Church and Society; Union for Reform Judaism; Unitarian Universalists for Social Justice; United Church of Christ, Justice and Witness Ministries.
____
Faith in Public Life,
Washington, DC.
Dear Member of Congress: On behalf of 40,000 faith leaders across the country, I write in support of the For the People Act, the transformational democracy reform bill that would help return power to everyday Americans. As people of faith, we believe every person's inherent dignity can only be upheld if every person's right to vote is ensured and protected. Therefore, we are urging Congress to prioritize passage of this pro-voter, anti-corruption legislation in the 117th Congress to advance the nation towards that moral goal. Along with prioritizing action on the For the People Act (H.R. 1), we call on Congress to also pass the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Act (H.R. 4).
Our nation faces numerous pressing challenges like the COVID pandemic, systemic racism, the climate crisis, and healthcare inequities. We can only solve these problems with a healthy, inclusive democracy where all people have a voice. Leaders must take swift action to protect the right to vote and to strengthen our democratic foundations from abuse and manipulation by the powerful and the wealthy at the expense of the historically marginalized and most vulnerable people in our nation.
The 2020 election has underscored the urgent need for transformational democracy reform. Across the nation, Americans experienced unprecedented voter suppression, historic levels of dark money spent to drown out the voices of everyday Americans, and rampant ethical abuses by special interests in the 2020 elections. One sweeping bill, the For the People Act, addresses many of these problems.
The common-sense reforms in this legislation, which are deeply popular and have passed in many states and localities, aim to accomplish three overarching goals: (1) protecting and strengthening the sacred right to vote, (2) ending the dominance of big money in politics, and (3) implementing anti-corruption, pro-ethics measures to clean up government. For far too long, Black and Brown communities have been silenced through voter disenfranchisement and government prioritizing corporation interests above our communities needs. H.R. 1 would work to remedy centuries of injustice and advance racial equity in our country. This is a moral issue and Congress must act now.
This historic legislation gained momentum early in the 116th Congress, passing the House of Representatives by a wide margin in March 2019 and garnering cosponsorshlp by nearly half of the Senate upon introduction. President-elect Joe Biden has stated that a ``first priority'' of his administration will be to lead on a comprehensive set of democracy reforms like those reflected in the For the People Act. Again, on behalf of Faith in Public Life, I urge Congress to prioritize bipartisan action on the For the People Act in the 117th Session.
Sincerely,Rev. Jennifer Butler.
____
Franciscan Action Network,
Washington, DC, November 25, 2020.
Dear Member of Congress: The Franciscan Action Network writes in strong support of the For the People Act (H.R. 1/S. 949), the transformational democracy reform package that would help return power to everyday American families. We strongly urge you to prioritize passage of this pro-voter, anti-corruption legislation in the 117th Congress. Along with the passage of the For the People Act, Congress must also prioritize the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Act (H.R. 4) and legislation granting statehood to Washington, D.C. (H.R. 51).
The 2020 election has underscored the urgent need for transformational democracy reform. Across the nation, Americans experienced unprecedented voter suppression, historic levels of dark money spent to drown out the voices of everyday Americans, and rampant ethical abuses by special interests. One sweeping bill, the For the People Act, addresses many of these problems. This historic legislation passed the House of Representatives with unanimous Democratic support in March 2019 and was cosponsored by all members of the Senate Democratic Caucus. President-elect Joe Biden has stated that a ``first priority'' of his administration will be to lead on a comprehensive set of democracy solutions like those reflected in the For the People Act. House and Senate Democratic leaders have similarly said they will prioritize this once-in-a-generation legislation. In fact, several days after the election, Speaker Pelosi reiterated her strong support for the For the People Act by saying the House ``will proudly pass our election reform, anti-corruption and voting rights legislation by passing H.R. 1 on the first day of the new Congress.''
The common-sense reforms in this legislation, which are deeply popular and have passed in many states and localities, aim to accomplish three overarching goals: (1) protecting and strengthening the sacred right to vote, (2) ending the dominance of big money in politics, and (3) implementing anti-corruption, pro-ethics measures to clean up government. Without structural democracy reform, our nation will remain unable to fully address important substantive priorities for the American people, such as expanding affordable healthcare and stopping the spread of COVID-19, protecting the environment, and creating millions of good-paying jobs. As Franciscans, our shared Christian faith teaches us that we must recognize each person as a gift from God, and that we must emphasize the importance of the essential humanity and dignity of each person. And, as Pope Francis calls us to
``meddle in politics'' we interpret this concept as a requirement that all Americans must have an equal say in the public square.
Again, on behalf of the Franciscan Action Network, we ask you to ensure that the For the People Act is the first priority when the new Congress is convened.
Sincerely,
Jason Miller,
Franciscan Action Network,Director of Campaigns and Development.
____
Friends Committee on
National Legislation,
Washington, DC, February 18, 2021.
Dear Member of Congress: We ask that you support and co-sponsor S. 1. Representative democracy is the very foundation of our nation. It is a foundation cracked with a legacy of exclusivity, the 3/5ths compromise, disenfranchisement, and suppression. Access to voting has been used to secure power for some and deprive it from others. As Quakers, we believe that there is that of God in everyone. No one has less value. Unfortunately, voter suppression undermines democracy and disproportionately affects Black and brown communities.
State legislative bills across the country have the effect of shutting out millions like voter caging in Ohio or poll closures in Georgia. For instance, the Georgia legislature has been proposing a number of measures to make it harder to vote like restricting new voters from voting in the runoff. We have seen similar restrictive measures across the country to avoid an electoral outcome and rig the process for one party. This is immoral.
Our democracy can live up to its potential only if the government ensures open access to public office and electoral processes; curbs the influence of money and corporate power; safeguards the integrity of the voting process without raising unnecessary barriers; provides full participation for disenfranchised people, including those currently and formerly incarcerated; and protects and secures electoral and voting procedures from foreign and domestic interference.
We need to expand voting rights to all Americans and take more measures to ensure the integrity of our elections. We must reduce voter suppression tactics like poll closures, exact match, signature match, voter-caging, and a number of other elements deceptively presented as measures to protect the voting process. The influence of big money in politics has a chilling effect on the electorate who cannot pay-to-play. That is why we, Friends Committee on National Legislation, urge you to support the For the People Act of 2021.
It is no secret there is an ever-growing trend of mistrust and frustration with government nationwide. The For the People Act offers a key opportunity to restore faith in American democracy.
Elements of S.1 that would go a long way to restore the integrity of our elections:
Establishes Election Day as a national holiday to allow everyone the vote
Institutes same-day and automatic voter registration
Simplifies and improves voter registration processes
Prohibits voter intimidation and voter-caging
Eliminates gerrymandering through redistricting commissions
Requires 15 consecutive days of early voting
Declares Congress' intent to protect access to native voters
Restores voting rights to the formerly incarcerated
Requires disclosure of donations above $10,000 to organizations engaged in electioneering
Establishes small-donor financing, funded from fines on corporate malfeasance and tax crimes, to stop the deepest pockets from controlling the debate
Prohibits foreign money in elections via shell companies, social welfare organizations, or super PACs.
For far too long, flaws, or even active voter suppression, in our election system have been neglected. The Friends Committee on National Legislation supports the For the People Act because it reflects our belief that every American should have their voices heard through secure elections. Laws should include measures to assure voting rights and political voice. We believe in an ethical government that works solely in the interest of the people. Quakers are united in our support for transparent and fair elections. We encourage you to support this legislation so we can actualize a more inclusive, secure, and moral democracy for today and generations to come.
Sincerely,
Diane E. Randall,
General Secretary, FriendsCommittee on National Legislation (FCNL).
____
Leadership Conference
of Women Religious,
January 6, 2021.
The Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR) is deeply concerned about the state of our nation and the future of our democracy and we are committed to using our voice in the public square to speak about matters of justice and moral good. In this increasingly divided nation, we are called to take action to repair our democracy and contribute to the work of building a more perfect union. That is why we urge you to support the For the People Act.
We consider the protection of the rights of the people to free and fair elections, equitable and fair representation, and accountability for elected leaders to be among the most critical moral issues of our day. That is why we are urging Congress to prioritize passage of this pro-voter, anti-corruption legislation. That is why we are asking you to take immediate action on the For the People Act (H.R. 1) and the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act (H.R. 4).
Only a healthy democracy has the capacity to attend to the pressing needs our faith, and our national values, call us to address: the COVID-19 pandemic, systemic racism, economic inequality, climate change, justice for migrants, hunger and poverty, violence of every type, access to healthcare and more. We must take swift action to protect voting rights, strengthen our democratic institutions, and put an end to manipulation by wealthy and powerful special interests at the expense of the historically marginalized and most vulnerable people in our nation.
The 2020 election underscored the urgent need for transformational reform. The For the People's Act coupled with the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act go a long way toward addressing the voter suppression, dark money and ethical abuses that threaten our democracy.
The common-sense reforms proposed in this legislation aim to accomplish three overarching goals: (1) protecting and strengthening the sacred right to vote, (2) ending the dominance of big money in politics, and (3) implementing anti-corruption, pro-ethics measures to clean up government. They will go a long way toward fixing our democracy.
On behalf of LCWR's 1300 members, who represent more than 32,000 Catholic sisters in the United States, we urge members of Congress on both sides of the aisle to prioritize bipartisan action on the For the People Act. We pledge to continue to work with all people of good will to promote the common good as we to continue to build God's beloved community.
____
National Council of Jewish Women,
Washington, DC, December 4, 2020.
Dear Member of Congress: I am writing on behalf of the 180,000 advocates of the National Council of Jewish Women
(NCJW) in strong support of a transformational democracy reform package that would help return power to everyday Americans--For the People Act (HR1/S949). I urge you to prioritize passage of this critical measure in the 117th Congress.
The common-sense reforms in HR 1/S949, which are deeply popular and have passed in many states and localities, aim to accomplish three overarching goals: (1) protecting and strengthening the sacred right to vote, (2) ending the dominance of big money in politics, and (3) implementing anti-corruption, pro-ethics measures to clean up government. Without structural democracy reform, our nation will remain unable to fully address important substantive priorities critical amid a pandemic, including protecting and expanding affordable health care, stopping the spread of COVID-19, and ensuring jobs and wages that allow people to support themselves.
The 2020 election has underscored the urgent need for democracy reform. Across the nation, Americans experienced unprecedented voter suppression, historic levels of dark money spent, and rampant ethical abuses--all with the goal of drowning out particular voices. For the People Act addresses many of these challenges. NCJW was proud to support this historic legislation when it was first introduced. And, we were thrilled to mobilize our advocates in support of the bill, which passed the House in March 2019.
President-elect Joe Biden has stated that a ``first priority'' of his administration will be to lead on a comprehensive set of democracy solutions like those reflected in the For the People Act. With your support, we can help make these important improvements a reality.
Again, I hope you will make HR 1/S949, For the People Act, a priority when the 117th Congress convenes. Our democracy must work for everyone.
Sincerely,
Jody Rabhan,
Chief Policy Officer,National Council of Jewish Women.
____
Network Lobby for
Catholic Social Justice,
Washington, DC, November 20, 2020.Chairwoman Zoe Lofgren,House Administration Committee,Washington DC.
Dear Representative Lofgren: NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice is writing to express our steadfast support for the For the People Act (HR1/S.949), the transformational democracy reform package that would lay the necessary foundation to heal and rebuild our nation. We strongly urge you to prioritize passage of this pro-voter, anti-corruption legislation in the 117th Congress. It is needed now, more than ever.
The 2020 election in COVID only underscored the urgent need for transformational democracy reform. Across the nation, Americans witnessed unprecedented voter suppression, historic levels of dark money spent to drown out the voices of everyday Americans, and rampant ethical abuses by special interests. We know that the For the People Act addresses many of these problems. The American people have shown that our democracy can still deliver, despite all of its shortfalls, and Congress must in turn strengthen and protect our democracy.
NETWORK Lobby is a social justice advocacy organization with a legacy of advancing the common good through federal policy; our work is predicated on a functional democracy that is accountable to the people. This accountability and responsiveness is diminishing as the influence of special interest and dark money in politics grows and as the voices of individual American voters are stifled through voter suppression and gerrymandering. Our democracy needs reforms to recognize and respond to the needs of the most vulnerable among us in the midst of a pandemic and an economic crisis.
The reforms in this legislation are popular with the American people and are already in place in many states and localities. This comprehensive package aims to accomplish three overarching goals: protecting and strengthening the sacred right to vote; ending the dominance of big money in politics; and implementing anticorruption, pro-ethics measures to clean up government. Without structural democracy reform to begin restoring the faith of the electorate in government accountability, our nation will remain divided and unable to overcome the multiple crises currently at hand.
The momentum gained in 2019 and the unanimous support by Democrats in both chambers must now be driven forward with fresh energy. President-elect Joe Biden has stated that a
``first priority'' of his administration will be to lead on a comprehensive set of democracy solutions like those reflected in the For the People Act. House and Senate Democratic leaders have similarly said they will prioritize this once-in-a-generation legislation. NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice--on behalf of our 90,000 members across the nation--is asking you to ensure that the For the People Act is a first priority when the new Congress is convened. These reforms are desperately needed and overwhelmingly desired by the American people.
Sincerely,
Sr. Simone Campbell,
Executive Director,NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice.
____
Sisters of Mercy,
Silver Spring, MD, February 19, 2021.Speaker Nancy Pelosi,Washington, DC.
Dear Speaker Pelosi: The Sisters of Mercy of the Americas is a congregation of Catholic women religious committed to work in communion with others who seek a more just and inclusive world, and as such, we write in strong support of the For the People Act (H.R. 1/S. 1).
This democracy reform package is critical to overturning voter suppression that disproportionately disenfranchises Black, Latino and young Americans and to limiting the undue influence of monied interests.
The Sisters of Mercy believe ``racism is an evil affecting us all.'' We work to mobilize sisters and associates in recognizing and dismantling institutional racism and believe that upholding the voting rights of marginalized Americans is a critical step towards dismantling the systemic racism that underlies so much of our nation's infrastructure.
It became all too clear over the past three months how fragile our democracy is. We came frighteningly close to an overturned election as President Trump and his loyalists, including many elected officials, demanded that ballots be discarded from cities with large Black populations. This played out to its logical end with the violent siege on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6th.
The common-sense reforms in the For the People Act aim to
(1) protect and strengthen the sacred right to vote, (2) end the dominance of big money in politics, and (3) implement anti-corruption, pro-ethics measures to clean up government. Without structural democracy reform, our nation will remain unable to fully address important substantive priorities for the American people. These include expanding affordable healthcare and stopping the spread of COVID-19, eliminating systemic racism, protecting the environment and minimizing the threat of climate change, and creating pathways to legal status for immigrants who are contributing members of our communities.
On behalf of the over 2300 Sisters of Mercy and the thousands of Mercy Associates across the United States, we urge you to demonstrate your leadership and ensure that the For the People Act is a priority in the 117th Congress.
Sincerely,
Margaret Conley,
Director, Sisters of Mercy of theAmericas Justice Team.
____
Unitarian Universalists
for Social Justice,
Washington, DC, February, 8, 2021.
Dear Member of Congress: We write in support of the For the People Act (HR1/S1), the transformational democracy reform bill that would help return power to everyday Americans. We consider fair representation and accountability for elected leaders to be a moral issue of utmost importance. After the January 6th attack on the US Capitol, the urgency of democracy reforms to address our broken systems could not be more apparent. We are urging Congress to prioritize passage of this pro-voter, anti-corruption legislation.
On a practical level, only a healthy, well-functioning democracy has the capacity to attend to any of the pressing needs our faith calls us to address: the COVID pandemic, systemic racism, climate change, hunger, violence, poverty, healthcare and more. On a moral level, leaders must take swift action to protect the right to vote and to strengthen our democratic foundations from abuse and manipulation by the powerful and the wealthy at the expense of the historically marginalized and most vulnerable people in our nation.
The 2020 election cycle and the insurrection on January 6th have underscored the urgent need for transformational democracy reform. Across the nation, Americans experienced unprecedented voter suppression, historic levels of dark money spent to drown out the voices of everyday Americans, and rampant ethical abuses by special interests. The number of Americans misled into questioning the results of a safe and secure election demonstrates the fragility of our democracy and the urgency of taking concrete actions to shore-up public trust. One sweeping bill, the For the People Act (HR1/S1), addresses many of these problems.
Our organization Unitarian Universalists for Social justice focuses on four major issues, all of which would be helped significantly by fixing our democracy: economic justice, immigration justice, environmental justice, and democracy. This historic legislation has significant momentum in Congress with priority designation in both chambers. On behalf of UUSJ we urge Congress to pass the For the People Act (HR1/S1) quickly in the 117th Session.
Sincerely,
Pablo DeJesus,Executive Director.
____
Church & Society,
The United Methodist Church,
Washington, DC, February 22, 2021.
Dear Member of Congress: As General Secretary of The United Methodist Church's General Board of Church and Society, I write in support of the For the People Act (HR1), the transformational democracy reform bill that would help our political system be protected by strengthening the power of everyday Americans to determine our nation's leaders. Our ministry of justice and peace is connected to communities of faith across the United States and around the world who consider fair representation and accountability for elected leaders to be a moral issue of utmost importance. I am urging Congress to prioritize passage of this legislation which increases the overall transparency and effectiveness of our democratic systems.
The General Board of Church and Society of The United Methodist Church is the public policy agency of The United Methodist Church, a global denomination with more than eight million members in the United States.
We, as a denomination, understand that the strength of our political life together is determined by ``the full and willing participation'' of its citizens (2016 Book of Discipline, para. 164a ``Political Responsibility'').
The United Methodist Church affirms the right to vote for all adult citizens as a basic human right.
``We hold governments responsible for the protection of the rights of the people to free and fair elections . . . The form and the leaders of all governments should be determined by exercise of the right to vote guaranteed to all adult citizens.'' (2016 Book of Discipline, para. 164a ``Basic Freedoms and Human Rights.'')
The United Methodist Church calls for a vision of beloved community founded on economic and racial justice, including strengthening voting rights protections, in light of continued systemic racism that threatens to undermine provisions for fair and free elections for all citizens.
The For the People Act (HR1) makes sure that every citizen is able to exercise their civic duty free of voter suppression and murky campaign financing.
Too many Americans, particularly in communities of color, have been unjustly prevented from exercising their right to vote through extraordinary and deeply discriminatory voter suppression laws. Strong and dedicated community leaders are prevented from pursuing public office simply because of the overwhelming financial burden of running a campaign. On top of these deep systemic issues, the number of Americans in the 2020 election cycle misled into questioning the results of a general election with historic voter turn-out demonstrates the fragility of our democracy and the urgency of taking concrete actions to shore-up public trust. The For the People Act (HR1) addresses many of these problems.
The common-sense reforms in this legislation, developed through years of bi-partisan efforts and passed in many states and localities, aim to accomplish three overarching goals: (1) protecting and strengthening the right to vote,
(2) reducing the influence of big money in politics, and (3) implementing anti-corruption, pro-ethics measures.
This historic legislation has significant momentum in Congress with priority designation in both chambers. As a United Methodist faith leader, I urge Congress to pass the For the People Act (HR1) quickly in the 117th Session.
Sincerely Yours,Rev. Dr. Susan Henry-Crowe,
General Secretary, General Board of Church and Society,
The United Methodist Church.
____________________
SOURCE: Congressional Record Vol. 167, No. 45
The Congressional Record is a unique source of public documentation. It started in 1873, documenting nearly all the major and minor policies being discussed and debated.
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