State Action: For the People Act

One year ago, House Democrats unanimously passed a landmark anti-corruption and pro-democracy bill, the For the People Act of 2019 (H.R. 1). But since this historic vote, H.R. 1 has sat in the legislative graveyard on Senate Leader Mitch McConnell’s desk. 

As McConnell and Senate Republicans have refused to hear H.R. 1, public corruption, efforts to suppress votes, and unlimited and unaccountable campaign spending have plagued our democracy:

• In the 10 years since Citizens United, undisclosed corporate dollars have flooded elections in the United States, giving narrow special interests a greater say than the broad public interest.
• Efforts have increased to restrict voting rights - closing poll locations, implementing voter ID laws, and voter roll purges -- strategies that in many states have left a minority overriding the will of the majority. 
• Tens of millions of U.S. taxpayer dollars have been spent at Trump properties.
• President Trump carried out a corrupt scheme to undermine our elections and democracy and was impeached for it.
• Dozens of states have pursued partisan and racial gerrymanders to allow politicians to choose their voters instead of the other way around.
• Public officials at the state and federal level have used their offices for corrupt and criminal purposes (think Rep. Chris Collins, and many more).

Today, 23 lawmakers in 10 states across the U.S. are taking the reforms of H.R. 1 to their states by introducing a state-level For the People Act. Throughout the country, these state lawmakers are improving access to voting, reducing the power of big-money corporate special interests, and ensuring public servants put the public interest first. 

The state For the People Act will take major steps to increase access to voting, promote fair legislative districts, increase corporate political accountability, and strengthen government ethics. Most importantly, it will make sure democracy works for the people.