Friend --
Just a month ago, the Supreme Court ruled that federal courts cannot curb partisan gerrymandering. To address partisan gerrymandering in all congressional districts, the path is clear: Congress must act. That is why we are urging Congress to pass the Fair Representation Act.
The Fair Representation Act (FRA), reintroduced in the U.S. House today by Congressman Don Beyer (VA-8), is the most comprehensive approach to improving congressional elections in American history. It presents a new opportunity to eliminate gerrymandering and to forge a Congress that more closely aligns with the people it represents.
Under the FRA, voters would elect their members of Congress using ranked choice voting. In some states, districts would be larger and have multiple congressional members, making it more challenging for any entity to attempt to manipulate district lines. Because the FRA mandates larger, multi-member districts, it gives nearly every voter in every election the power to elect someone to represent them.
After Rep. Don Beyer initially introduced the FRA in Congress in 2017, it earned a steady stream of support spanning the political spectrum. This includes a full-page editorial in the New York Times, commentaries by civil rights leader Anita Earls, conservative analyst Reihan Salam, Nation political correspondent John Nichols, the Economist and a piece by pundit David Brooks, titled “One Reform to Save America.”
The timing is important. The Supreme Court decision was clear—if we want to end gerrymandering, we must reform our laws. So it’s critical that Congress acts now to fix our broken democracy.
The Fair Representation Act is a visionary solution to our broken politics. By ridding us of gerrymandering and electing people who more clearly represent us, its passage will lead to a more reflective and accountable Congress.
Sincerely,
Scott
Siebel, FairVote
Director of
Outreach, FairVote
http://www.fairvote.org/
