The “For The People Act” Would Protect Voting and Make Democratic Reforms
MARYLAND — Thursday, March 3rd, Maryland Democratic Party Chair Yvette Lewis released the following statement after House Democrats, led by Congressman John Sarbanes (MD-3), passed H.R. 1 — a democratic reform package:
“Today, thanks to the hard work of Congressman John Sarbanes and the support of the Democratic Caucus, the House of Representatives passed the largest voting rights and democracy reform bill in a decade. H.R. 1, the For the People Act, would fundamentally improve the way our politicians are held accountable, making elections more fair, transparent, and accessible.
“As we watch Republicans across the nation attempt to roll back voting rights and restrict access to the ballot box, this critical piece of legislation would protect the most fundamental right of any democracy — the right to vote. Every American who can vote should be able to do so with ease and without undue barriers.
“The For the People Act would also bring significant transparency and anti-corruption measures to our government, including limiting the use of ‘dark money’ — ensuring that SuperPACs cannot influence our elections without accountability. The American people deserve to know what their Members of Congress are doing, and be guaranteed our elected officials are working for the people, not special interests.
“This push to increase government transparency and protect voting rights is supported by the vast majority of Americans and Marylanders, including most Republicans. These are bipartisan issues, and it’s unfortunate that Congressional Republicans were unable to rise to the moment and support bipartisan solutions.
“We thank Congressman Sarbanes, Majority Leader Hoyer, and all of Maryland’s Democratic House Members for their hard work on this bill. We look forward to it being heard in the Senate, and hope that Senators can set aside their differences to pass this crucial piece of broadly supported legislation.”
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