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Today, Common Cause called on Congress to prioritize funding for key elements of our democracy in the next COVID-19 emergency supplemental appropriations bill (“CARES 2.0”). The letter urges every Member of Congress to designate sufficient funding in the stimulus package to secure essential pillars of our democracy threatened by the pandemic and to ensure proper safeguards are put into place to oversee government disbursement of trillions of dollars in stimulus funds. The elements highlighted in the letter include critical efforts to safeguard our elections, the Census, the U.S. Postal Service, access to broadband internet service, as well as local journalism and to fully staff and prioritize the CARES Act Congressional Oversight Commission.

Today, Common Cause called on Congress to provide funding to safeguard key elements of our democracy in the next COVID-19 emergency supplemental funding bill. The letter urges every Member of Congress to provide significant funding in the stimulus package to backstop vital elements of our democracy and to ensure proper safeguards are put into place to oversee government disbursement of trillions of dollars in stimulus funds. In the face of the pandemic, Common Cause calls for funding to safeguard our elections, the Census, the U.S. Postal Service, access to broadband internet service, as well as local journalism and to fully staff and prioritize the CARES Act Congressional Oversight Commission.

In a letter sent to members of Congress today, Common Cause laid out five key priorities on voting rights, the 2020 Census, and broadband access that Congress must include in the next stimulus package.

“We welcome steps the FCC is taking to urge broadband providers connect Americans during this unprecedented pandemic our nation is currently facing.  As businesses shift to telework policies and schools transition to online-only classes for extended periods of time, communities will need robust and affordable broadband access now more than ever. Unfortunately, the FCC has spent the last few years stripping much of its authority to oversee the broadband industry, preventing many of the provisions in this pledge from being enforceable."