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John,
The heat waves keep coming as July 4th approaches. No, not just the ones created by the weather, but the ones created by the Supreme Court, state legislatures, and Congress. These are tough times for our democracy, but also hopeful ones.
The Court just punched two more holes in disclosure and voting rights laws; state legislators continue to enact hyperpartisan voting bills; the Senate wouldn’t even debate the For the People Act; and the Senate filibustered an attempt to create a bipartisan January 6th Commission. Not good signs in advance of Independence Day.
But we — like so many of our fellow democracy advocates — march on. Specifically, at Issue One, we’re:
Helping set up alternative ways to investigate January 6th.
Working on bipartisan federal bills to stop and prevent state laws from making it harder to vote.
Continuing to advocate for a stronger, better Congress by, most recently, boosting funding to more fairly compensate staff and interns, doubling funding for the House Office of Diversity and Inclusion, removing Confederate statues from the Capitol, and allowing DACA recipients to work in Congress.
Expanding the phalanx for democracy. On July 1st, we helped launch the Partnership for American Democracy — a one-stop-shop for all of us who care about the future of our democracy. Watch — and be inspired by — the powerful kick-off event here.
As we reflect on our country’s upcoming birthday, we should also honor the heroes who have come before us. On Juneteenth, our staff watched 1964: The Fight for a Right. With fewer means and tougher odds than ours, these champions struck blows to oppression and dramatically broadened the ability for everyone to be involved in the ongoing experiment of American self-governance.
There’s a lot of work ahead, but thanks to your support, Issue One is working toward the promise of what our great republic can become.
Happy 4th of July!
Nick Penniman
Founder and CEO, Issue One
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