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If you grew up like I did, with a basic understanding of how a bill becomes a law that came almost entirely from viewings of Schoolhouse Rock, it can be confusing to keep up with the complex processes that have governed action in Congress lately. But fear not! We’re going to break down as clearly as possible what’s been happening with the push to get Congress to make transformational investments in climate, jobs, and justice, and how you can help keep up the pressure on our leaders in Washington to achieve the change we need.
What just happened?
The House just passed what the Senate passed two weeks ago—the budget reconciliation framework for what could be unprecedented investments in climate, jobs, and justice.
Now the House and Senate committees will allocate the $3.5 trillion across priorities like clean transportation, lead pipe replacement, clean energy payment program, retrofitting housing and schools, creating a Civilian Climate Corps, offering a pathway to citizenship, expanding Medicare, and so much more. They'll do this over the next three weeks, so we have to keep up the momentum and ensure that they fully fund these crucial investments.
Also this week, the House passed the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act,, which will restore key parts of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 which were gutted by the Supreme Court in 2013 and again in 2021. The new bill will ensure that racially motivated voter suppression is illegal, including racist gerrymandering (the drawing of voting districts to intentionally dilute the voting power of a racial minority).
Let's keep up the momentum! Join our Week of Action from August 28 to September 4. Find an event near you or organize your own.
Why does this matter?
The budget reconciliation process offers us an opportunity to invest in our priorities at a massive scale. It’s the first step toward realizing the Green New Deal. This is huge, and it moves us closer to more equitable and dignified living conditions for millions of people—by providing them with cleaner air and water, economic security, and protection from climate-related disasters. It's not hyperbole to say this is a once-in-a-generation opportunity. But it’s nowhere near a done deal yet—we've got to keep up the pressure until it passes.
The John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act is aimed at preventing the most egregious suppression of the votes of people of color. It's crucial that we pass this bill in addition to the For the People Act, which is already in the hands of the Senate.
Why did Congress have to use budget reconciliation?
Even though a majority of Americans want a comprehensive infrastructure spending plan and democracy reforms that work, Republicans in the Senate can stop any bill they don't like by simply threatening a filibuster, a Jim Crow-era maneuver which takes 60 votes to overcome. To get around Republicans' obstruction, Democrats are using a process called budget reconciliation, which allows the Senate to pass budget matters with a simple majority of 51 votes. This means we could pass legislation that most Americans support, and that addresses some of our nation’s most pressing problems, based on Congress's power to determine how the nation's budget is spent.
No, this isn't covered in the classic song "I’m Just a Bill," but that was written during a time of less racial gerrymandering, less money in politics, and less partisanship. Members of Congress representing the vast majority of Americans would not have to get this creative to pass the laws we elected them to pass if their Republican colleagues were truly interested in governing for the greater good.
Tell me more about these democracy bills.
Glad you asked! Sierra Club activists have been vocal supporters of another important piece of federal democracy legislation: the For the People Act. That bill has been stalled in the Senate—again, due to Republican obstruction and abuse of the filibuster—and will be taken up again when senators return to DC In the meantime, the House introduced and passed the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act. The original Voting Rights Act of 1965 (VRA) was passed specifically to overcome racial discrimination at the ballot box. Because of recent Supreme Court rulings and hundreds of racially-motivated anti-voter laws being instituted at the state level, we need to update and expand the original VRA.
But expanding the VRA isn’t the only democracy reform we need. While the VRA is like a shield protecting Americans from brazen anti-voter legislation passed on the state and local level, the For the People Act is intended to cut down anti-voter bills that have recently passed and help ensure that all Americans have equitable, secure, and safe access to the ballot box, regardless of circumstance or zip code.
What can I do?
Do what the late Representative John Lewis, namesake of the new Voting Rights Act, would tell you: Find a way to get into “good trouble.”
Make some noise, and ask your friends and family to make more noise with you. Your senators and representatives are currently on recess, which means they are near you with the express purpose of hearing from you. So give them something to hear! Find out if there’s a lobby day, a rally, or a March for Voting Rights Action happening near you. Don't see one near you? Then host your own! We'll help you every step of the way to make sure you are heard by powerful decision-makers in your neck of the woods.
We hope this blog post answers most of your questions, and motivates you to join the push to protect voting rights in this country. We’re facing challenges way beyond what the creators of Jailhouse Rock imagined. It will take a movement to save our democracy, our environment, and our planet, and we need you in it. Join us!