Thread by @CommonCause

❗ THREAD ❗

This week marks the one year anniversary of the U.S. House passing #HR1 - the #ForThePeople Act. This landmark legislation is the biggest political reform package proposed in Congress since Watergate and would improve our democracy for ALL Americans.

The #ForThePeople Act deals with ethics, campaign finance, voting rights, and gerrymandering.

While Mitch McConnell & the @SenateGOP have refused to even bring the bill up for a hearing or vote, states across the country are already implementing many of the reforms in #HR1.

One of the key reforms in #HR1 is a new small donor-focused public campaign finance system that gives everyday people a bigger voice in politics and limits the power of special interests. These types of programs have passed & worked in states & localities across the country.

We've also worked to make sure that states have updated their campaign finance disclosure rules in the wake of #CitizensUnited. The new, commonsense money in politics transparency rules in the #ForThePeople have already been implemented in many states with bipartisan support.

Speaking of #CitizensUnited, ❗20❗ states have now called on Congress to pass a constitutional amendment to overturn Citizens Untied and allow Congress and the states to enact rules to limit the power of big money in politics. The #ForThePeople Act would advance this goal.

The #ForThePeople Act also includes a reform that would automatically register eligible people to vote when they do business with a government agency, like the DMV. This reform gives more people access to the ballot box and increases the accuracy of our voting rolls.

Another great reform in #HR1 is allowing eligible Americans to register to vote on the same day they vote. This reform is already law in many states and it has proven to increase voter turnout + serves as a fail-safe if something happens to the voter rolls (like voter purges).

The #ForThePeople Act also includes online voter registration, which most states have already implemented. We need to make it easier for people to access a ballot, not harder. That's exactly what this reform does.

Giving voters more options to vote is a great way to cut down on long lines and make voting more accessible for people who are working, have kids, have disabilities, or have other commitments on Election Day. That's exactly what early voting & vote by mail options in #HR1 do.

The #ForThePeople Act also includes reforms that corrects historically racist policies that disenfranchise people with felony convictions. Voting is a RIGHT and should never be taken away!

The #ForThePeople Act would also help protect our elections by promoting paper ballots instead unreliable and unsecure voting machines. This is an old-school solution to a new world problem of hacking and technology. Many states have already moved to a paper-based voting system.

The #ForThePeople also would require that congressional districts be drawn by impartial, nonpartisan commissions, instead of by partisan politicians. This type of reform is already law in places like California & Arizona and has proven to #endgerrymandering and ensure #FairMaps!

The #ForThePeople Act (#HR1) is filled with good policies that would help create a democracy that works for everyone and put power in the hands of everyday people.

It's the people's power that scares Mitch McConnell as he continues to block this commonsense bill.

But even as @senatemajldr & @SenateGOP continue to block progress to make our democracy work, the states, with grassroots support of the people, are moving forward with passing #HR1 policies, often with bipartisan support. The people aren't waiting.
commoncause.org/resource/the-f…