The Senate’s Failure to Debate Another Voting Rights Bill Is Shameful

Media Contacts: Sarah Turberville, Director of The Constitution Project at the Project On Government Oversight (POGO), [email protected]; or Caitlin MacNeal, Director of Communications at POGO, [email protected]

(WASHINGTON) — Yet another attempt to protect Americans’ voting rights was thwarted in the Senate today when senators filibustered the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act. It’s shameful that Congress once again failed to begin debate on a critical voting rights bill — the stakes are too high.

Right now, states across the country are restricting Americans’ freedom to vote, endangering our very democracy. Our system of government was built on its people’s ability to elect their leaders and vote them out of office when they abuse their power. Without the rights protected by the Freedom to Vote Act and John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, Americans’ core and foundational freedom to vote will be imperiled.

The Senate must do whatever it takes — including reforming the Senate filibuster rule — to pass voting rights legislation swiftly.

“It’s time for the Senate to stop holding doomed votes on legislation to protect voting rights and reform the filibuster. The current filibuster rule is abused and has become a tool of obstruction, and the rule must be reformed in order for the Senate to become productive again and pass voting rights legislation,” said Sarah Turberville, director of The Constitution Project at the Project On Government Oversight. “Voting rights are too important to be thwarted by abuse of a procedural rule.”

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Founded in 1981, the Project On Government Oversight (POGO) is a nonpartisan independent watchdog that investigates and exposes waste, corruption, abuse of power, and when the government fails to serve the public or silences those who report wrongdoing.

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