Friend, this is a dark moment for our democracy.
On Friday, the Senate voted to block any additional witnesses in the impeachment trial. And this Wednesday, they’re all but certain to rush through a party-line acquittal of President Trump. As soon as that happens, hundreds of thousands of Americans will take to the streets in protest -- find an event near you >>
The Senate’s trial wasn’t a fair trial -- it was a partisan coverup. Senate Republicans never wanted all the facts because they knew it would show Trump was guilty.
And history will remember every senator who votes to acquit -- if they’re remembered at all -- for putting their loyalty to Donald Trump ahead of their loyalty to the Constitution.
They’ve endorsed a dangerous theory of executive power -- Trump’s lawyers claim that anything the president does to secure re-election is legitimate. Asking foreign countries to interfere with our elections... refusing to secure our voting system... ginning up fear and hatred to suppress voters -- anything is on the table.
And as more about Trump’s wrongdoing comes out -- and it will -- the senators who voted to cover for him will be made to answer to their constituents for their decision to rush to a verdict without getting all the facts.
But even though the Senate won’t do its job, the House’s investigations of Trump’s crimes are far from over, and can help hold him accountable. We need to continue to watchdog for new potential abuses of power and educate voters about the president’s high crimes and misdemeanors -- because the 2020 election is another opportunity for real justice.
And if Trump’s party is willing to greenlight his corruption and foreign interference in our election, then the stakes are incredibly high for our entire democracy.
This Wednesday at 5:30pm local time -- right after the final vote of this sham trial, thousands of Americans will take to the streets in protest to call out the members of Congress who are complicit in this coverup. RSVP to find an event near you or host your own >>
Here’s one thing that should give every American pause: the Senate is about to condone Trump inviting foreign interference in the 2020 election.
Now, a president who’s already proven he’ll violate any law or break any oath to win re-election has just been handed a blank check. He knows Mitch McConnell will block any and all oversight -- so what’s stopping him from doing this again, and again, and again?
The only thing that can: you and me taking action to protect our elections.
Even though this is difficult news, we absolutely cannot respond with despair and hopelessness. We must immediately get to work to make sure the 2020 election is conducted freely and fairly -- now that we know the president will stop at nothing to rig it in his favor.
That means doubling our efforts to secure our election system against foreign hacking and sabotage, and making sure our local election officials are doing what it takes. It means fighting back against any attempts to suppress the vote -- whether it’s through new voter ID laws, or online disinformation.
We’re kicking off this unprecedented effort with nationwide rallies. Please find an event near you to join us >>
Nearly half a century ago, Americans mobilized in response to the Watergate scandal. It was a different era -- when Republicans were willing to hold a president of their own party accountable, and our system was able to work. But what most people don’t realize is that what happened after Nixon left office made the biggest impact.
The American people were shocked by how far our democracy had fallen -- and we organized to prevent it from ever happening again. They shined a light on government corruption, and shifted power from smoke-filled rooms to the people.
Common Cause was at the forefront of winning those good government reforms, such as the Federal Election Campaign Act and the Ethics in Government Act. And now, nearly 50 years later, it’s incumbent on each of us to keep fighting for what’s right.
Common Cause is advancing a bold democracy agenda -- starting with the For The People Act to protect our voting rights, end gerrymandering, and reduce Big Money’s influence in politics. Together, we WILL ensure our democracy emerges from the Trump era even stronger.
We won’t let this setback take away from our mission -- ensuring that we leave the next generation the democracy they deserve.
In Common Cause,
Karen Hobert Flynn, President
and the team at Common Cause
