John, 

The For the People Act, passed by Democrats in the House of Representatives, would implement critical reforms to protect and expand voting rights, stop gerrymandering, and finally take on toxic big money interests by empowering small donors. 

But in order for these critical reforms to be signed into law, they’ll need to make it past the Senate where Republicans can use the filibuster to completely stop the bill. By requiring 60 votes to get anything passed over objections to legislation, the filibuster allows the minority controlled by Mitch McConnell to grind legislation to a halt and stop progress on the important issues facing our country. 

So we need to hear from you! Should Senate Democrats eliminate the filibuster so Congress can pass fundamental reform to fix our democracy? Let us know!

The filibuster was first introduced to protect the interests of slave-owning states in the years before the Civil War, and for more than a hundred years following it was used by Southern segregationists to stop the advancement of civil rights legislation. So it’s no surprise McConnell used the filibuster to repeatedly block legislation during Barack Obama’s presidency, trying to impede the legacy of the country’s first Black president.

Now Republican-controlled legislatures around the country are doubling down on racist tactics by introducing over 250 voter suppression bills targeting Black and Brown voters. They’re doing everything they can to try to make it harder to vote. In states from Georgia, to Texas, to Arizona and around the country, Republicans are introducing bills that would limit early voting, shorten voting hours, close polling places, eliminate voting on Sunday which has been used by Black voters for "Souls to the Polls" voting drives, and even outlaw offering food and water to voters waiting in lines.

The For the People Act would put a stop to these voter suppression tactics. But Republicans can stop the bill from advancing by using the filibuster, requiring 60 votes in order to get it passed. And it’s not just democracy reform. Republicans will be able to stop legislation on climate change, gun control, healthcare, and any other critical priorities.

We need to know: Do you support eliminating the filibuster? Your response will help us decide on our next campaign steps for passing reform.

Thank you for all you do,

- HAZMAT America