SCHUMER: "The eyes of the nation will be watching what happens this week in the United States Senate...The public is entitled to know where each senator stands on an issue as sacrosanct as defending our democracy. The American people deserve to see their senators go on record "
"The dangers that face our democracy are alive and well. And the laws that suppress the vote at the state level are being enacted on a partisan basis. We have seen periods of regression in terms of voting rights and equality and fairness to people of color."
"We must step in and act. We must do everything to pass voting rights legislation — just as this chamber has done in the past, just as the Constitution permits us to do. That is why we will vote this week on the Freedom to Vote and the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Acts."
"The direction of voting rights in America is enough to shake the faith of even the most optimistic champion of democracy. Sometimes it seems like for each step forward the country takes two steps backward. But fights like this are not unusual in American history." 1/2
"The story of our country has been a long arduous march towards expanding the promise of freedom for all Americans. We find ourselves in such a struggle today." 2/2

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More from @DemocracyDocket

Jan 20
SEN. SCHUMER: "While tonight's vote was disappointing, it will not deter Senate Democrats from continuing our fight against voter suppression, dark money and partisan gerrymandering. With no support from Senate Republicans..." 1/5
"many of whom deny the very existence of voter suppression, we faced an uphill battle. But because of this fight, and the fact that each senator had to show where they stand, we are closer to achieving our goal of passing vital voter protection legislation." 2/5
"We take inspiration from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. He kept fighting for voting rights through every obstacle and we will do the same. We will not quit. Now that every senator has gone on record, the American people have seen who's on the side of protecting voting rights." 3/5
Read 5 tweets
Jan 20
SEN. WARNOCK: "Here's the question tonight, America: are we Jan. 5th or are we Jan. 6th? Are we going to give in to the forces that seek to divide us by gerrymandering us, suppressing us, & subverting the voices of some of us in pursuit of power at any cost?"
SEN. WARNOCK: "Or are we going to live up to that grand American covenant, E Pluribus Unum?"
"We are swinging from a moral dilemma. We are caught somewhere between Jan. 5th and Jan. 6th. Between our hopes and fears, between bigotry and beloved community...We the people have to decide which way are we going to go. What are we willing to sacrifice in order to get there?"
Read 4 tweets
Jan 19
SEN. LUJAN: "Our democracy faces clear and present dangers posed by Republican-led state legislatures across the country. Some lawmakers want to curtail the right to vote not for all Americans, but for the most vulnerable and historically disenfranchised."
"History will not look kindly on inaction at this critical moment, and we must show the American people that we will not flinch when faced with a choice to protect our democracy or let it crumble before our eyes."
Sen. Luján, highlighting the Native American Voting Rights Act included in the legislation: "We cannot allow voter suppression to continue in South Dakota or anywhere in Native America. These are American citizens whose rights are being restricted for partisan advantage."
Read 4 tweets
Jan 19
SEN. SCHUMER: "How will the members of this body band [together] and protect the most basic right, the right to vote, from forces...conspiring to take it away?...The question today before us today is as old as the Republic itself."
"If the Republicans block cloture on the legislation before us, I will put forward a proposal to change the Senate rules to allow for a talking filibuster on this legislation."
"McConnell even claimed, quote, 'states are not engaged in trying to suppress voters whatsoever.'...I would ask the Republican leader if there's no effort to suppress the vote, why have 19 states passed 33 new laws making it harder for Americans to participate in our elections?"
Read 6 tweets
Jan 19
When the Senate moves to end debate on the Freedom to Vote: John R. Lewis Act, what exactly will happen?

Here's what you need to know.👇🧵
Under current Senate filibuster rules, 60 votes are needed to end debate and move to final passage on a bill. When a motion is made to end debate under current rules, the vote will inevitably fall short of 60 votes and fail.
When the vote fails, Sen. Schumer will raise a non-debatable point of order proposing a change to the rules, a procedural move that allows for a new interpretation of Senate rules.
Read 8 tweets
Jan 18
SEN. HIRONO: "In 1957, Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his 'Give Us the Ballot' address where he said 'the denial of this sacred right is a tragic betrayal of the highest mandates of our democratic tradition.' But here we are, in 2022, fighting back against hundreds of bills..."
"introduced in states across the nation, clearly intended to make it so much harder for certain people to vote. 22 states have already enacted 47 new laws that make it more difficult to vote by mail, that make it harder to stay on voting lists, that limit the availability..."
"of drop boxes for ballots, that limit the number of polling locations, that impose stricter or new voter ID requirements and the list goes on."
Read 4 tweets

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