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Washington, D.C. — Ben Olinsky, senior vice president for Policy and Strategy at the Center for American Progress, issued the following statement regarding the need for passage of the For the People Act in the Senate:
“The voting rights and anti-corruption provisions in the For the People Act enjoy broad bipartisan support among the American people. They would set national standards making it easier for American citizens who legally have the right to vote to do so. The need for Senate lawmakers to pass this pro-voter, anti-corruption measure has taken on more urgency as conservatives in states around the country are introducing and enacting hundreds of bills to restrict voting rights.
“Voting is not just the lifeblood of democracy, it is at the heart of its very definition. Our nation historically has been far from perfect in guaranteeing the unencumbered ability to vote; racially motivated voter suppression once took the form of poll taxes and literacy tests, which demanded federal action. Now, brazen efforts by many states to suppress the votes of Black and brown Americans—and in some cases subvert the popular will of the majority of their voters—demand similar action.
“Before senators prioritize ‘inside the Beltway’ Senate procedures, they should carry out their sworn duty to defend our democracy and the most sacred right to vote.”
