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We are gearing up for the fight in the Senate. Like most bills, HR1’s final passage comes down to having all Democrats on board and preventing Republican obstruction. But there are signs of progress. Yesterday, Amy Klobuchar, who chairs the committee that will be hearing HR1/S1, came out in support of ending the filibuster for the first time, citing the need to pass HR1.
The Sierra Club has been working on iterations of the For the People Act/HR1 with Congressman Sarbanes for over eight years. The earlier version solely revolved around money in politics. As Congressman Sarbanes developed the bill, we worked with him to expand it to include voting rights. Working to broaden the involvement of civil and voting rights groups and working with members in the Congressional Black Caucus.
Late last night, the House of Representatives passed the For the People Act. Next stop for this landmark set of democracy reforms is the Senate -- TAKE ACTION: http://ow.ly/mlXm50DQ8Rb
Posted by Sierra Club on Thursday, March 4, 2021
Toplines of the For the People Act/HR1:
- It will shift structural power and increase the voice and power of communities of color;
- It will create more ways to choose our politicians and hold them accountable;
- Add up to 50 million voters to the voter rolls;
- Restore the right to vote for over 1.7 million formerly incarcerated people;
- End partisan gerrymandering, which means the party in power can’t rig elections to their benefit;
- Mandate automatic voter registration, early voting, vote by mail, and make Election Day a federal holiday;
- Weaken restrictive and discriminatory voter ID laws and limit voter purges;
- Reduce money in politics & make it easier for women, Black, brown and young people to run for office by creating small donor matching system that gives candidates the opportunity to run without relying on wealthy donors; and
- Here is more about HR1 and HR1’s impacts on racial equity.
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