The investigation shows that Congress has a lot to do to protect democracy. ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ 
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Brennan Center for Justice
 
 
Make a commitment to democracy reform for 2023, John. Your generous gift is more than a contribution to power our work — it's an investment in rebuilding American democracy. You play an invaluable role in our fight against election deniers, dark money in politics, and the myth of voter fraud.
 
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The House January 6 committee released its final report last week after months of hearings that exposed significant vulnerabilities in our legal and electoral systems. While the committee’s work may be drawing to a close, Congress has a lot of work to do. Fixing the Electoral Count Act was a good start. Now, from establishing national baseline standards for federal elections to funding security for local election officials, numerous robust reforms are needed to protect American democracy in the future.
The latest edition of our Voting Laws Roundup shows that this year, 11 states continued the pattern of passing laws that make it harder to vote and easier to interfere in elections. On the other hand, a dozen states enacted laws that expand access to the vote. Based on pre-filings for 2023, voting-related legislation will likely continue to be high on state lawmakers’ agendas.
 
Despite record-high national turnout this year, data from Georgia indicates these numbers don’t tell the whole story. White turnout was 8.6 percentage points higher than nonwhite turnout in the state’s midterms — Georgia’s widest gap in any general election in the past decade. It’s an important reminder that high turnout is not equally shared by all voters.
Congress is nearing the end of its latest lame duck session. Despite what their name implies, these postelection meetings have been responsible for significant historic events and legislation. Our new explainer details what these sessions are for and how they’ve left lasting marks on modern law and politics.

 
Virtual Events
 
Secret War: Unauthorized Combat and Legal Loopholes
Wednesday, January 18, 3–4 p.m. ET
 
Since 9/11, the United States has secretly engaged in armed conflict across the Middle East, Africa, and Asia for the sake of combating terrorism. Little-known laws have enabled hostilities in the name of “security cooperation” — authorizing the Pentagon to create and use paramilitaries without notifying key decision-makers in Congress and permitting presidents to counter not just terrorist groups but also states, such as China, Iran, and Russia. Through these laws, a handful of government officials, working with minimal oversight and no notice to the public, could stumble the United States into a major conflict. Expert panelists will take on the question of how Congress should address this danger. RSVP today.

 

 
 
Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law
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646-292-8310
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