By Victoria Leistman, Dirty Fuels Organizer
Right now, we are seeing Republicans lead a power grab and a massive attack on voting rights in nearly every state. Republican leaders have been blocking the For the People Act and backing legislation that suppresses the vote. They are not interested in bipartisanship, and will do whatever it takes to maintain their grip on power, including silencing the voices of people who oppose them, which so often means people of color.
The For the People Act is supported by over 83 percent of Americans. It includes comprehensive, common sense reforms to our democracy that ensure that every American has the freedom to vote, regardless of their zip code or background. It bans partisan gerrymandering, reduces government corruption, and curbs the influence of big money donors on elections and the electoral process. Yet despite bipartisan support from voters, Republicans voted to block a debate on the merits of the bill.
Our Washington State Senators Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell are supportive of the bill and voter protections but we need them to take greater leadership and light a fire under their peers. We need all hands on deck to pressure lawmakers, in WA and all across the country. Our democracy -- and our chances at stopping irreversible climate chaos -- depend on it.
If we don’t pass these voter protections, we are likely to lose the midterm elections to Republicans in 2022. Losing Congress would make it impossible for the Biden administration to move forward on their agenda. Therefore, the infrastructure package being proposed this August could very well be our only chance to pass federal legislation that includes bold climate action in Biden’s entire term.
So, what do we do? We organize.
Every senator needs to know that we will not accept failure when it comes to protecting the freedom to vote. And every senator needs to know that the August infrastructure package must pass and it must be as bold as possible. This is how every hard-fought battle is won -- with persistence and a commitment to keep organizing.
To that end, here’s what you can do to play a role from the PNW:
1. Attend the training series on the For the People Act work and the critical infrastructure package.
RSVP here for weekly August trainings that will be on Tuesdays from 4:30-7pm PST.
2. Write a letter to the editor! Here is a writing guide you can use and share.
3. Letters By The People Project
For this effort, we are writing letters to six key White House leaders in support of the For the People Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Act.
To begin writing letters:
- Request a batch of 6 letter templates using this form: sc.org/ByThePeopleLetters
- We will email you a PDF of your templates to print and personalize
- In order to remain non-partisan we have provided messaging guidance to help with personalizing your letters. Please review the guidance here before personalizing your letters: sc.org/ByThePeopleMessaging
- For step-by-step instructions on writing your letters, please see our letter writing guide here: sc.org/ByThePeopleInstruction
4. Share on social media! Use #ForthePeople and tag @SierraClub and Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell's accounts.
We strongly encourage you to be active on your and others social media accounts. By liking, retweeting and writing posts you can show others you support this bill. By simply liking or retweeting others’ posts you can amplify their messages to a broader audience, which will be critically helpful as we move forward.
Make sure to tag @SierraClub and use the hashtag #ForThePeopleAct. You can use language from some of the sample tweets and posts below, or write your own!
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Thank you @PattyMurray & @SenatorCantwell for your support of the #ForThePeopleAct. This bill will help improve voter access at a time when state’s are actively trying to limit it. Thank you again for your support and we urge you to not give up on this fight #PassS1 #SierraClub
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Thank you @PattyMurray & @SenatorCantwell! We are thrilled you will support the #ForThePeopleAct. We must pass this critical bill and we urge you not to give up this fight #PassS1 #SierraClub