Friend – today, the Senate is voting on moving forward with the For the People Act. This could not be more important, so I wanted to make sure you saw my message over the weekend (included below) about how the filibuster may block progress on protecting voting rights.

For years, Republicans have been orchestrating a nationwide campaign to make it increasingly difficult for people to vote – especially people of color and low-income communities – because they know that when everyone is able to exercise the right to vote, Democrats win. The GOP has decided it’s easier to rig our democracy than to earn people’s votes. That’s why we must take action now to put an end to these targeted voter suppression efforts and pass the For the People Act.

I will never stop fighting to protect the right to vote, but with our democracy on the line, I need you to add your voice right away: Sign the petition now to demand the Senate pass the For the People Act and uphold voting rights in the face of the GOP’s relentless attacks.

Thank you,

Dick

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Richard Blumenthal
Date: Sat, Jun 19, 2021
Subject: re: the filibuster

Friend,

A decade ago now, when I first began my tenure in the Senate, one of my first votes was to eliminate the filibuster. I understood my colleagues' concern – after all, Democrats had spent years in the minority, and they wielded the filibuster as it was institutionally intended: to achieve bipartisan compromise.

But, more recently, I have watched the filibuster bring the Senate to a grinding halt. This institution is no longer functioning as intended. These failures, brought on by the Republican Party’s relentless commitment to obstruction, have rendered the filibuster both useless and – much worse – damaging to our country. If you believe as strongly as I do that we must get rid of the filibuster, then please add your name to my petition now urging the Senate to eliminate the filibuster for good.

We are witnessing the damage in this very moment: Right now, there is an unprecedented Republican-led attack on voting rights. From Florida to Michigan to Texas and beyond, extremist legislators are passing laws to purge voter rolls, curb the ability to vote by mail, and even make it illegal to give water to those waiting in line to vote.

The impetus for all of this is crystal clear: feeding into the Big Lie that Donald Trump was cheated out of the election. Despondent from the massive mobilization of Democratic voters last year, Republicans have decided it is easier to suppress voting rights rather than win fair and square. They are masquerading their anti-democratic efforts as “election security.”

We have a legislative solution to all of these attacks right in front of us: passing the For the People Act to protect and expand voting rights – but Republicans are using the filibuster to block its passage.

This is not the only significant piece of progress that has been blocked because of the filibuster. Increasing numbers of Senators have come around to filibuster reform because its subversion has been used to block things we all support and need: from funding for VA hospitals to investment in rebuilding America’s aging infrastructure. These are the very things where there should be bipartisan action, but there isn’t. Because the Republicans don’t want to govern all the people. They want government to fail.

When the Senate’s functionality comes to a screeching halt – when we can’t pass legislation that protects our fundamental right to vote, then we must look to reform. In the face of right-wing, state-based attacks on our democracy, we should be able to pass the For the People Act with just one Republican crossing the aisle to do the right thing. It’s what the majority of Americans want us to do. There’s no hope of any of that unless we eliminate the filibuster.

There is unprecedented grassroots momentum for getting rid of the filibuster, and, today, I need 5,000 members of this team to fuel that momentum by signing my petition: Will you add your name right now to urge the Senate – including Democratic colleagues who are currently opposed to this action – to get rid of the filibuster once and for all?

ADD MY NAME

Thus far, not a single Republican Senator has spoken out against the voter suppression tactics happening across the country. In fact, many of my colleagues on the right have endorsed these attacks on the constitutional right to vote. If left unchecked, millions upon millions of voters could be shut out of the ballot box. These attacks are targeted: It’s the Americans who turned out for Democrats who will find it more difficult to vote, cementing extremist GOP strongholds on our democracy.

You have my word, Friend: I’ve been fighting with every ounce of energy I have to get the For the People Act passed – and I have hope we can bring at least a few GOP members on board. After all, what could be more important than protecting and expanding the people’s ability to vote? It is the most cherished, democratic right in our republic.

But the For the People Act can only get to President Biden’s desk with a simple majority vote. We must eliminate the filibuster. So please, sign on to my petition before our 11:59 p.m. deadline urging the Senate to get rid of the filibuster so we can protect voting rights.

Thank you for taking action on such a crucial issue.

Dick

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