To the editor:
I’ve never had any trouble voting in New York City, and know that the city’s campaign finance program ensures that candidates for city office don’t have to spend lots of their time fundraising.
But that’s not the case in other parts of the country. At least 14 states have passed laws that greatly restrict voting. The U.S. House of Representatives has passed the For the People Act — a bold, comprehensive package of democracy reforms that would better our country.
U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell has stated that he will block it, and other Senate Republicans have refused to commit to voting for it.
Thank you, U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer, for committing yourself to calling for a vote in the Senate by the end of June. Today, the Senate majority leader must hear from all of us so that nothing will stand in the way of adopting the sweeping protections for voting, elections and campaign finance contained in the For the People Act.
Call him at (212) 486-4430, and tell him not to let the antiquated filibuster stand in the way of adoption of a bill that will end partisan gerrymandering, match small-dollar contributions for citizen-funded elections, and adopt ethics reforms that will close the revolving door between government and the private sector.
Our future of our democracy literally hangs in the balance.
Sue Dodell