Washington, D.C. – Today, Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet urged his colleagues to support the For the People Act – a comprehensive reform package to protect our democracy, tackle special interest corruption, and make government work for the American people.
“Even before January 6, our democracy was under attack. It was under attack because of gerrymandering. It was under attack because of the way special interests control the agenda on this floor and down the hall. It was under attack because of voter suppression that nobody in the 21st century imagined we’d ever see in our country again,” said Bennet. “Not to mention the fact of Citizens United, which unleashed the floodgate of money from billionaires to control our political system. This is an effort to separate the American people from their exercise in self government. It’s an effort to destroy the American people’s confidence in their exercise in self government, and making it harder for people to vote is a huge piece of this puzzle.”
This landmark legislation to expand voting rights also draws on Colorado’s leadership to ban partisan gerrymandering, implement automatic voter registration, and expand mail-in voting. Earlier this year, Bennet joined several Senate Democratic colleagues to introduce the For the People Act as an original co-sponsor. The vote today comes as state legislators across the country are working to pass laws limiting access to the ballot.
“We can change the destiny of America… that’s what this exercise in self-government is about… [We can] send a signal to people… all across the world that American democracy is stronger than ever,” said Bennet. “That we remain a beacon of freedom and self government, and that we remain committed not to our worst instincts but to our highest ideals.”