John, the world lost a giant last week — my friend and former colleague in the House, Congressman John Lewis.

John dedicated his life to making the promises of our great country — life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness — attainable for all Americans. His courage, perseverance, and humility in the face of unimaginable obstacles remain an inspiration to me and so many others.

John didn’t just tell us to keep the faith and to fight for what’s right even when it’s hard. He showed us — from his time marching for voting rights in Selma, Alabama nearly 60 years ago, to his fight to codify those rights in Congress for nearly 33 years.

John made what he called good trouble, necessary trouble, to make our country a better place to live for all Americans. We must honor John’s legacy by continuing his fight for equality and justice for all — and that includes our constitutional right to vote.

Please sign our petition to say today, more than ever, we need to do everything we can to protect and expand voting rights in our country.

John put himself in harm’s way decades ago to ensure the right to vote for all Americans, but today, voters — particularly Black voters — in states across the country are encountering obstacles when trying to cast their ballots in primary elections: long lines, ballot shortages, voting machine complications.

The right to vote is the very heart of our democracy. If folks can’t confidently cast their ballots, it undermines the integrity of not only our elections, but of our very democracy

John sacrificed so much to carve a path to progress for us. We can truly honor his legacy by continuing his fight for true equality.

This week, I was proud to join my colleague Senator Pat Leahy and 46 of our Senate colleagues to reintroduce critical legislation to restore the Voting Rights Act, but with a new name — The John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act. Last year, John Lewis presided over the House of Representatives when it passed this legislation.

We can’t just honor John Lewis’ life with words. We must act, and the most important thing the Senate can do is finally pass a bill that makes real the work that John Lewis dedicated his whole life to — ensuring all Americans have equal access to the ballot.

We need to do everything we can to make it easier — not harder — to vote, especially during an unprecedented health crisis like the one we’re facing now. If you agree, please add your name to mine today.

Thank you for keeping up this fight,

Tom