Friend --

Today, Martin Luther King Jr.'s family and other demonstrators are marching across the Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge in Washington, D.C.

Many of you already know why: Since the 2020 election, Republican state legislators have introduced hundreds of restrictive voting laws. These laws take many forms, but ultimately, they make it harder for voters – especially those in majority-Black neighborhoods, who are elderly or disabled, or who've recently moved – to cast a ballot and have it counted.

Some legislators have even changed the rules so they can overturn election results they don't like. Think about that.

This isn't the future Martin Luther King Jr. spent his life trying to bring to fruition. No elected official who's worked to undermine the sacred right to vote this past year should have Dr. King's name on their lips today.

Congress and the Biden administration took action last year to start repairing our roads and bridges. Now, it needs to show the same urgency for repairing our democracy.

There are bills in the Senate right now to do just that: the Freedom to Vote Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act (which we already passed in the House). These bills would make it easier for all eligible Americans to vote, reduce the influence of big money in politics, and protect election results from partisan interference.

Senate Majority Leader Schumer is holding a vote on both this week – but Republican senators are expected to block them. You have to wonder why.

The Senate must take swift action to ensure that every eligible American is able to vote and that everyone's vote is counted. Honoring Dr. King's legacy requires that we not shy away from the profound challenges our democracy faces at this moment.

Thank you,

Dean Phillips