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Thank you all for speaking out for HR 1.  A big victory for the LWV!    On 3/8/19 the House passed the For the People Act.

 Mitch Mc Connell is blocking the vote in the Senate.  Read more:    Only One Roadblock on the Road to Reform: Mitch McConnell

 Let’s not give up.  LWVUS is asking us to pressure our Senators to pass this historic bill.  Now the companion bill is in the U.S. Senate.  LWVUS urges all League members to ask their Senators to support this bill. Even though Senator Warren and Senator Markey are strong supporters, sending an email thanking them for that support and letting them know their constituents are behind this bill helps when they try to persuade their colleagues in the Senate to vote yes.

Senator Elizabeth Warren.        www.warren.senate.gov/contact

309 Hart Senate Office B.           Washington phone: 202-224-4543

Washington, DC 20510                Springfield phone: 413-788-2690

Senator Ed Markey                      www.markey.senate.gov/contact

255 Dirksen Senate Office B.           Washington phone: 202-224-2742

Washington, DC 20510                     Springfield phone: 413-785-4610

HR 1 For the People Act

As an organization with a mission of empowering voters and defending democracy, the League of Women Voters is proud to support legislation that does the same.  The For the People Act will improve American elections by making our election system more free, fair, and accessible to all eligible Americans.

Why we need a comprehensive package of democracy reforms: (Graphic and information from LWVUS).

• It should be easier, not harder, to vote.  The For the People Act improves access to voting with reforms like Same Day Registration and Automatic Voter Registration.
• More needs to be done to protect voters’ voices.  The For the People Act requires independent redistricting commissions ends voter roll purges based on failure to vote, and restores the Voting Rights Act.
• Our government should respond to the will of the people, not the interests of powerful corporation and wealth donors.

The For the People Act is a large policy reform package.  LWV will focus on these key democracy provisions:

• Expanding voter registration. Modernizing the registration process through the expansion of automatic voter registration, online voter registration and same day registration.
• Implementing fair redistricting.  It’s time to end gerrymandering once and for all so that voters select their elected officials – not the other way around.  It mandates that all states must establish independent citizen redistricting commissions for all Congressional districts.
• Outlawing voter purging. Prohibiting illegal voter roll purging will ensure that eligible voters will not find themselves wrongfully stopped of the right to vote.
• Restoring the Voting Rights Act. Restoring the VRA will strengthen our elections by cutting back the obstructive laws that have kept eligible voters from exercising their right at the ballot box.
• Campaign Finance reform.  Passing the Disclose Act would provide strong provisions for improving transparency in campaign finance.  Corruption occurs in Washington when wealthy donors and powerful interests use political money to by influence from officeholders.  A small donor, public matching funds system would greatly reduce the power and influence of big money funders.  They would be far less important in elections and have far less influence over government policies if candidates can obtain sufficient campaign funds elsewhere.

Contact your Representative: James Mc Govern, Richard Neal

What should I say? As a member of the LWV, which helped to write HR1, I thank you (Mc Govern or Neal,) for cosponsoring this package of democratic reforms.  It will make our election system more free, fair, and accessible to all eligible Americans. It deserves support from all members of Congress.

Not a member of the league? – just say thanks for cosponsoring.  There is no companion bill yet in the Senate.

James McGovern

Washington office                                                  Northampton office

408 Cannon House Office Building                    94 Pleasant St.

Washington, DC 20515                                          Northampton, MA 01060

Phone: 202-225-6101                                             phone: 413-341-8700

Fax: 202-225-5759                                                  hours: M-F 9-5:00pm

https://mcgovern.house.gov

hours: M-F 9-5:30

Richard Neal

Washington office                                                  Springfield office

2309 Rayburn House Office Building                300 State Street

Washington, DC 20515                                          Suite 200

Phone: 202-225-5601                                            Springfield, MA 01105

Fax: 202-225-8112 fax                                           Phone: 413-785-0325

https://neal.house.gov/contact                           Fax: 413-747-0604