Klobuchar, Merkley, Schumer Introduce For the People Act to Strengthen Democracy and Put Power Back in the Hands of the American People

Press Release

U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Chairwoman of the Committee on Rules and Administration with oversight over federal elections and campaign finance law, Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR), and Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-NY) introduced S.1, the For the People Act--a sweeping package of comprehensive reforms that would end special interest corruption of our politics and make government work for the people. The introduction comes as lawmakers in 43 states push to restrict Americans' access to the ballot box--with a disproportionate impact on communities of color. According to a recent report from the Brennan Center, at least 253 bills to restrict voting have been introduced around the country.

The landmark legislation--companion legislation to H.R. 1, which was passed by the U.S. House of Representatives on March 3--aims to restore the promise of American democracy by guaranteeing every American citizen full access to the ballot by addressing voter intimidation and suppression, which are among the biggest examples of systemic racism in America; ending the corrupting power of dark money in our campaigns; and putting an end to gerrymandering. In addition, it strengthens ethics laws to ensure that public servants work for the public interest.

"At a time when the right to vote is under attack and special interests and dark money are drowning out the voices of the American people, we need to take bold action," said Klobuchar. "The For the People Act is essential to protecting every American's right to vote, getting dark money out of our elections, and making sweeping anti-corruption reforms. Many of the provisions in this bill have already been adopted across the country in red, blue, and purple states and they have the support of Republican and Democratic governors and election officials. Next week I will hold a hearing on this bill in the Rules Committee, followed soon after with a mark-up so we can send it to the Senate floor for a vote, because making our Democracy work for every American is a top priority."

"Every American--regardless of the color of their skin, where they live, or how much money they have--deserves a seat at the table and an equal voice in their government," said Merkley. "That's the only way we can realize our founders' "We the People' vision. We must tackle every obstacle, from partisan gerrymandering, to massive sums of dark money, to voter suppression, that are keeping us from fully realizing the promise of an equal and just America. If you really believe in the vision of our republic, you believe in voter empowerment and not voter suppression."

"As Senate Majority Leader, one of the first things that I did was designate the For The People Act as S.1, the first legislative bill from the Senate Democrats," said Schumer. "In doing so, Senate Democrats made clear we are committed to standing up to the voter suppression efforts that are threatening the core tenets of our democracy, to ending dark money in politics, and to ensuring public officials work for those they represent and not the special interests. As this legislation moves through the Senate, every member of this body will have an opportunity to stand up and say if they support a government by the people and for the people."

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