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Common Cause is urging every member of the U.S. Senate to vote to begin debate on the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act when the Senate considers the legislation later this week. The letter, sent today to every Senator, emphasizes that already this year, 19 states have enacted 33 restrictive voting laws that make it harder for Americans – particularly Black and Brown voters - to have a say in choosing their elected leaders. The letter also notes that Common Cause plans to key-vote this legislation in our Democracy Scorecard, which we send to our 1.5 million members.

With The Facebook Papers adding daily to the evidence of the inability and unwillingness of social media giants to combat disinformation and other harmful content, Common Cause today released an extensive report on election disinformation, including a comprehensive set of reforms needed to curb this huge and growing problem and protect our right to vote in elections next week, next year, and beyond. Based on more than 15,000 hours monitoring social media in the 2020 election cycle, together with legal and policy expertise, “As a Matter of Fact: The Harms Caused by Election Disinformation” details the seriousness and scale of the threat, current applicable state and federal laws, and the woefully inadequate and inconsistent civic integrity policies of the social media giants. The report concludes with a sweeping series of reform recommendations to better enable us to fight back against election disinformation.

No American is above the law, not the president, not the ex-president, nor any of their advisors. The American people expect and deserve to know the truth about the insurrection on January 6th, why it happened, and who was behind it. Today’s vote to find Steve Bannon in criminal contempt of Congress will help ensure we learn the truth about the events of that bloody attempt to overturn the legitimate results of the 2020 election. But it is disgraceful how few Republicans voted to enforce congressional subpoena power and hold Steve Bannon in contempt for refusing to comply with subpoenas about his role in, and knowledge of, the bloody attempt to topple our government. But it is disgraceful how few Republicans voted to enforce congressional subpoena power and hold Steve Bannon in contempt for refusing to comply with subpoenas about his role in, and knowledge of, the bloody attempt to topple our government.

Americans overwhelmingly support the Freedom to Vote Act. Senators must chart a path forward to President Biden’s desk in the wake of today’s filibuster. Today’s vote is the third time in recent months that all 50 Senate Democrats have voted to advance major voting rights legislation only to be met with Republican opposition. The Senate loophole long used to stymie civil rights legislation must not be abused again to defend the new Jim Crow laws being passed across the country to make it harder to vote today - particularly in Black and Brown communities.

More than 1,500 small businesses across the country are demanding the immediate passage of the priorities in the Freedom to Vote Act, to ensure a government that reflects voters’ vision to increase local investment, create good jobs, and foster equitable economies. The ranks of small business getting behind the legislation have continued to grow in recent weeks as a series of votes on the legislation are anticipated in the coming weeks. Business Forward and Common Cause have worked with these businesses to advocate in support of the bill — and 1,500 small business leaders have written letters to the editor, met with senators, and signed on to letters in support of protecting the freedom of every American to cast a ballot and curbing the outsized influence of deep-pocketed special interests in Washington (see the letters below). Efforts to enlist more small business in support of the legislation are expected to continue in the weeks ahead.

Common Cause is urging every member of the U.S. Senate to vote to begin debate on the Freedom to Vote Act when the Senate considers the legislation later this week.  The letter emphasizes that already this year, 19 states have enacted 33 restrictive voting laws that make it harder for Americans – particularly in Black and Brown communities - to have a say in choosing their elected leaders. The letter also notes that Common Cause plans to key-vote this legislation in our Democracy Scorecard, which we send to our 1.5 million members.