Lansing State Journal (Op-Ed): For the People Act will protect our vote, amplify the voices of marginalized communities

Lansing State Journal (Op-Ed): For the People Act will protect our vote, amplify the voices of marginalized communities

The events of January 6 in Washington, D.C., were shocking and appalling. We saw armed rioters, incited by President Trump, storm our center of government and loot the U.S. Capitol — which led to at least five deaths. The violent mob, spurred by conspiracy theories and lies, failed in its attempt to overturn the results of an election — the same election Trump’s own Department of Homeland Security said was, "the most secure in American history.” But this tragic attack on our Capitol should not be understood as just a reaction to the incitement of insurrection of the outgoing president. This horrific event came after years of ignoring structural weaknesses in our Republic. Our democracy was, and continues to be, undermined — and we must immediately fix it.

The events of January 6 in Washington, D.C., were shocking and appalling. We saw armed rioters, incited by President Trump, storm our center of government and loot the U.S. Capitol — which led to at least five deaths. The violent mob, spurred by conspiracy theories and lies, failed in its attempt to overturn the results of an election — the same election Trump’s own Department of Homeland Security said was, “the most secure in American history.”

But this tragic attack on our Capitol should not be understood as just a reaction to the incitement of insurrection of the outgoing president. This horrific event came after years of ignoring structural weaknesses in our Republic. Our democracy was, and continues to be, undermined — and we must immediately fix it.

Fortunately for Michigan, Rep. Elissa Slotkin has a strong record of protecting and strengthening our democracy throughout her time in Congress. In addition to receiving a 12/15 on Common Cause’s 2020 Democracy Scorecard, she has championed several efforts to secure our elections and keep foreign money out of politics.

Additionally, she was an early supporter of H.R. 1, the For the People Act, the most transformative democracy reform package since the Watergate era. This comprehensive set of democracy reforms and anti-corruption measures will protect and strengthen the right to vote, reduce the role of big money in politics, end racial and partisan gerrymandering, and amplify the voices of hardworking Americans.

The For the People Act contains many other strong reforms, some of which Michigan has enacted recently. For example, it establishes automatic and same-day voter registration as well as an independent redistricting commission, which Michigan voters approved in the 2018 elections.

Thanks in part to Congresswoman Slotkin’s support, the For the People Act also includes an innovative program that will amplify the voices of small dollar donors and ensure our elected representatives prioritize the needs of everyday voters instead of big donors.

Instead of congressional candidates relying on wealthy donors, lobbyists and special interests to fund their campaigns, small donors who pitch in $10, $20 or $50 will have their small donations amplified by matching funds and become competitive with the big donors.

To have a functioning democracy, “we the people” need to know our voices matter — not just the wealthy and well-connected. And that is what the small donor reforms of H.R. 1 accomplish.

Until we fix our broken democracy, it’s highly unlikely we’ll be able to fully address so many critical issues that are important to Michiganders, such as creating good paying jobs, improving affordable, quality health care for everyone and ensuring we all have clean air and water. Special interests and voter suppression have a stranglehold on us, to preserve the status quo and block significant change. Luckily, Congresswoman Slotkin has shown leadership during her time in Congress, and we are pleased that she is in a position to continue supporting the bill she cosponsored and voted for in 2019.

On behalf of Common Cause’s more than 50,000 supporters throughout Michigan — more than 4,000 in Michigan’s 8th congressional district — we want to thank Rep. Slotkin for her continued leadership on democracy reform issues and for her continued support of the For the People Act, H.R. 1.

Quentin Turner is the program director of Common Cause Michigan.