Protect Democracy applauds the U.S. House of Representatives on passage of H.R. 1

Protect Democracy applauds the U.S. House of Representatives on the passage of the For the People Act (H.R. 1) and urges the Senate to quickly pass this vital legislation. Our government needs to be more inclusive, more representative, and better able to address threats to our democracy—including accounting for and responding to the abuses of power of the Trump administration. The For the People Act is an important step towards building a multiracial, inclusive democracy.

If enacted, H.R. 1 would address some of the most urgent threats to our democracy, including the alarming state-level attacks on voting access premised on the “Big Lie”: that the 2020 presidential election was somehow fraudulent. These attacks are explicitly designed to disproportionately harm Black and brown people and other marginalized communities.

As Americans, this is the moment to respond to the white-supremacist authoritarianism emboldened by the last president. After Watergate, we came together as a nation to enact a series of reforms to rebuild the key institutions of our democracy. In the aftermath of the Trump administration’s unprecedented abuses of power, we confront a similar need for democracy reform today.

In addition to the passage of H.R.1, we urge Congress to take action now to rebuild our checks and balances and to reduce the threat of another autocratic-minded leader rising to power. Specifically, Congress should pass the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Act, which reauthorizes the Voting Rights Act to ensure that Americans’ right to vote is protected, and the Protecting Our Democracy Act, which ensures that Congress fulfills its constitutional responsibilities to guard the rule of law and the integrity of our democratic institutions.