Common Cause Urges U.S. House Members to Support the For the People Act (H.R. 1)

Today, Common Cause urged every member of the U.S. House of Representatives to vote “yes” on the For the People Act (H.R. 1) when it goes to a floor vote on Friday. The letter notes that Common Cause plans to key-vote final passage of H.R. 1, as well as the motion-to-recommit (MTR), in our Democracy Scorecard, which we send to our 1.2 million members. The bill contains the most comprehensive set of democracy reforms to be introduced in Congress since the post-Watergate reforms were passed in the 1970s. The letter emphasizes that our democracy faces a crisis not seen since the Watergate era.

“Our nation has reached a crisis point that must be addressed through sweeping democratic reforms and that is precisely what the For the People Act offers to every citizen,” said Common Cause president Karen Hobert Flynn. “The legislation will restore the rule of law, empower the voices of all Americans, curb abusive partisan gerrymandering, and strengthen the right to vote for every eligible American. Change is already happening at the state and local level, and citizens expect their members of Congress to follow suit or step aside. Americans are fed up with the Trump administration and a Congress that put special interests before constituents.”

Last month, Flynn testified before the House Committee on Oversight and Reform on aspects of the bill that will strengthen ethics rules for the executive branch. Her testimony outlined the growing national appetite for democracy reforms and the wave of reforms that have already been enacted at the state and local level.

Today’s letter advocates for the sweeping set of reforms that would strengthen our democracy by getting big money out of politics, empower voters and secure our elections, as well as curbing corruption and making government more accountable to the people.

The letter closes by reminding Members that their vote on H.R. 1 during the current crisis will determine whether they will be remembered for being on the right side or the wrong side of our nation’s history.

To read the full letter, click here.

To watch the February 6 House Oversight Committee hearing, click here.

To read Flynn’s full written testimony to the Committee, click here.