BE A VIGILANTE and STOP THE SKEW

Republicans have introduced over 200 bills in dozens of states to restrict and suppress the vote.  They are on a mission.Some of their tactics are to eliminate voting by mail, end automatic voter registration and even reduce pre-election day voting. Make it harder to vote.Republicans believe that the only way to win elections is not to expand the vote of their supporters; instead, their answer is to reduce the vote of their opponents. They believe that if all who wish to vote were able to, then Republicans would consistently lose. The GOP has been successful skewing the vote toward their party which results in their preventing popular initiatives, such as raising the minimum wage or gun control, from getting a hearing and a vote.  We need to “stop the skew” and open up the ballot box to all who wish to participate.H.R. 1 For the People Act and The John Lewis Voting Rights Act protect all Americans’ right to vote”, outlawing discriminatory election practices and overriding state laws attempting to make it more difficult to vote; the bills provide for automatic and same day voter registration, and protect early voting and voting by mail.  How do we get these bills through the Senate when we face the skewed representation by Republicans?Al Franken and Norm Ornstein have given us the answer. Change the filibuster rules, they say.   “Flip the numbers. Instead of requiring 60 votes to end debate, require 41 to continue debate. Then, the majority leader could call votes any time the Senate was in session, and the minority would have to show up. Including for votes at 3 a.m. or 4 a.m., … Around the clock. Including 87-year-old Chuck Grassley and both 86-year-olds Richard Shelby and Jim Inhofe. And soon-to-be-79-year-old Mitch McConnell. No Mondays off while only the majority had to be there. Weekends in D.C., including for the 17 Republicans up for re-election in 2022, who want to be back home campaigning…”
 
Our framers warned us that democracy is fragile; to maintain it requires vigilance and participation; so, be a vigilante for the John Lewis Voting Rights Act and For the People Act.   Lobby your legislators. Demand they change filibuster rules.We have important work to do and there is no time to waste.