We need to protect one of our most fundamental rights.

Dear Friends,

This afternoon, from the former district of late Congressman John Lewis, President Biden and Vice President Harris reminded us the importance of protecting the paramount American right: the right to cast a recognized vote in a free, fair, and secure election.

For over a year now, the Republicans have stoked unfounded fears surrounding our nation's electoral process, turning this traditionally robust American institution into a partisan battleground. In tandem with this fear-mongering, they have passed voter suppression laws that have disproportionately affected communities of color.

It is well past time for the Senate to pass the Freedom to Vote Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, and the President has made clear that the Senate rules should change if it means ensuring the protection of one America's most sacred institutions. Dial (202) 224-3121 to let your Senator know that it is time for them to prove that they are on the right side of history.

Until this legislation is passed, it is important for us to continue to work with our partners, nationally and locally, on protecting every ballot box across the country. Thank you all for continuing to fight for this basic right in your communities.

Best,
Brencia Berry
Director of Coalitions and Community Engagement
Democratic National Committee
We have put together a toolkit with ways that you can amplify the White House's message. The toolkit includes graphics, messages, and articles that you can share with your networks. Show the world that you have chosen to be on the right side of history by utilizing the toolkit below:

VOTING RIGHTS TOOLKIT

Content to share:

@WhiteHouse ([link removed]) : Happening now: President Biden delivers remarks on the urgent need to pass legislation to protect the constitutional right to vote and the integrity of our elections.

CNN ([link removed]) : Opinion by Jaime Harrison | My grandfather taught me this crucial life lesson

@POTUS ([link removed]) : History has never been kind to those who have sided with voter suppression over voting rights. And it will not be kind to those who fail to defend the right to vote. Congress must debate and vote on the Freedom to Vote Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act.

@POTUS ([link removed]) : When it comes to protecting majority rule in America, a majority should rule in the United States Senate. To protect our democracy, I support changing the Senate rules to prevent a minority of Senators from blocking action on voting rights.

@VP ([link removed]) : Free and fair elections are central to our democracy. The Senate must pass the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act and the Freedom to Vote Act to protect our right to vote.

@VP ([link removed]) : Across our nation, anti-voter laws could make it more difficult for as many as 55 million Americans to vote. That's 1 out of 6 people in our country.

The Democrats ([link removed]) : New DNC Billboard in Atlanta Echoes President Biden and Vice President Harris’ Call for Voting Rights Legislation

White House Post-Remarks Talking Points:
* Today, in Atlanta, GA, the President and Vice President forcefully defended the fundamental right to vote – the right from which all other rights flow.
* They called on Congress to stand on the right side of history and pass voting rights laws that prevent voter suppression, ensure full access to voting by mail, expand access to drop-boxes, and more.
+ The President reminded the country that last year alone, 19 states enacted 34 new laws attacking voting rights.
+ The Freedom to Vote Act takes on election subversion to protect nonpartisan election officials from intimidation and interference. And, it would get dark money out of politics and create fairer district maps by ending partisan gerrymandering.
+ The John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act restores the strength of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and allow the Justice Department can stop discriminatory laws before they go into effect.
* The threat to our democracy is so grave that we must find a way to pass these voting rights bills. Yet, Senate Republicans have blocked the way – and oppose even debating it. The President made an appeal to Republican leaders who believe in the rule of law to restore the bipartisan tradition on voting rights.

* The President also made it clear: To protect our democracy, he supports changing the Senate rules to prevent a minority of Senators from blocking action on voting rights. If we can change the rules to protect the full faith and credit of the United States, we should be able to change them to protect the heart and soul of our democracy.

* The world is watching. Adversaries and allies alike are waiting to see if American democracy can meet this moment – one of the defining moments in American history.

* At consequential moments, history presents a choice. Lawmakers have a choice to make on which side of history they stand on. Do they want to be on the side of Dr. King? Or George Wallace? Do they want to be on the side of John Lewis? Or Bull Connor? Do they want to be on the side of Abraham Lincoln? Protecting the sacred right to vote is a sacred responsibility – and each members of the Senate is going to be judged by history.

Shareable Graphics:

DNC Statement on Biden/Harris Speech:

DNC Chair Jaime Harrison released the following statement in response to President Biden and Vice President Harris’ voting rights remarks in Atlanta, Georgia:

“Today in Atlanta, the President and Vice President reaffirmed their unshakeable commitment to voting rights. Their doggedness on this issue spoke to me personally, as I know it did for so many others across the country.

“My family’s story is inextricably tied to the story of voting rights in this nation. Voting rights legislation ensured that, after decades under the thumb of Jim Crow, my grandfather could vote unencumbered in South Carolina. As voter suppression laws spread like wildfire across the nation, voting rights legislation today would ensure that my son, my grandfather’s namesake, can continue to vote unencumbered.

“My family’s story is not unique. President Biden and Vice President Harris know this. They have a deep respect for what millions in this nation have endured and they know in their bones that none of us ever want to go back.

“They know this is bigger than politics. They know this is more important than arcane Senate procedures used time and again to grind progress to a halt.

“Today, the president and vice president made it inexplicably clear that the time to act is now. The time to pass the Freedom to Vote Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act is now. Congressman Lewis was a man of action, not empty words. Those who fail to act in this crucial moment for our democracy should think twice before invoking his name in the future.

“President Biden, Vice President Harris, and the nation are united on the importance of voting rights. Let’s act now to translate our shared commitment into law.”
For many of us, this battle isn't new. We have been fighting to protect of our most fundamental rights for a long time. Tell us what Voting Rights mean to you here. ([link removed])

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