WASHINGTON, D.C., January 11, 2022 – Today President Biden spoke in Georgia about the importance of passing federal legislation protecting voting rights and fair representation, including overcoming the filibuster to do so.
Alliance for Justice President Rakim H.D. Brooks issued the following statement:
“Our democracy has been under attack in state legislatures across the country for months, if not years, now— all with the Supreme Court’s stamp of approval. It is vitally urgent that we pass legislation that ensures access to the polls, unrigs our legislative maps, and protects election results from sabotage. We cannot allow any obstacle to stop us.
“The filibuster cannot be allowed to stand if it means our democracy fails. So many lies have been told about its legacy, when the reality is its most vicious and frequent use was to prevent the passage of civil rights legislation. Today, it does just that, as it is now blocking attempts to restore access to the polls to many voters of color targeted by these states’ voting restrictions. It was the right call to end the filibuster nearly a decade ago when it was used to block nominees to our courts and agencies, and it’s the right call to end the filibuster for voting rights.
“We will likewise not fall for Senator McConnell’s bait and switch to do less than is needed. Turnout was great in the 2020 election thanks to mail-in voting and extra precautions made available during a deadly pandemic. Since then, 19 states have passed a total of 34 different laws making it harder to vote, including limiting the very accommodations that made the 2020 election so successful. McConnell and the other Senate Republicans are intent on keeping these new obstacles in place in the hopes that they benefit when fewer people can vote. That’s not how our democracy works.
“We will not cater to those who draw power from dysfunction. We are a country of the people, by the people, and for the people — all the people, not just some. It is clear we are in crisis, and we will not back down until we have passed the protections our democracy needs and deserves.”