The Andrew Goodman Foundation’s Statement on the Filibuster of the For the People Act
At a moment when our democracy is being threatened by domestic terrorists motivated by lies about the 2020 Presidential Election, the Republican Senate minority has decided that maintaining power is more important than upholding our Constitutional principles. At The Andrew Goodman Foundation, we have been very troubled by the partisan nature of these attacks. To be sure, we believe that all Americans, despite party affiliation, should care about the protection of our democracy. Today’s filibuster of the For the People Act during a procedural vote is a cynical and cowardly exercise of power to prevent the passage of meaningful election protections that would have codified, expanded, and secured voting rights for every American. The overwhelmingly popular bill would have taken the power from the politicians and given it to the people to choose their representatives.
After the 2020 Election, which was deemed the safest and most secure election in history, incumbent politicians who rely on low voter turnout to maintain power have weaponized legal loopholes to craft laws to prevent specific voters from casting a ballot. It is no coincidence that after historic turnout among young people these politicians are targeting mail-in voting, absentee voting, and early voting — mechanisms that 70% of youth voters leveraged to cast their ballot. According to the Brennan Center for Justice, 48 states have introduced or made into law nearly 400 bills aimed at restricting the vote. Fourteen states this year have signed such bills into law. Federal policies like the For the People Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act are critically important in safeguarding our electoral system. Both are necessary for creating and protecting the equitable democracy all Americans deserve.
On July 1st our country should be celebrating the 50th anniversary of the ratification of the 26th Amendment, which gave those as young as 18 years old the right to vote; however, we continue to fight for basic voting rights. The Andrew Goodman Foundation remains committed to educating students on the importance of voting and providing avenues to fight against unjust laws in their communities. We call on Congress to support the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act and to continue the fight for the For the People Act by holding our U.S. Senators accountable and demanding that they reintroduce the bill.
