Congresswoman Scanlon Rallies Support for Passage of Voting Rights Legislation
Washington, D.C. ,
January 13, 2022
Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Mary Gay Scanlon (PA-05) today urged Senators to do whatever it takes — including changing their filibuster rules — in order to get critical voting rights legislation over the finish line. The Freedom to Vote: John R. Lewis Act, passed by the House of Representatives today, will ensure every American has equal freedom to make their voice and vote heard in our democracy.
“Our founding fathers may not have anticipated all the ways our country would change over the centuries and the ways in which our government would need to adapt — but they were really good at anticipating the evil people might do in pursuit of power,” said Rep. Scanlon. “That is why they endowed Congress with the authority, under Article 1, Section 4 of the Constitution, to take necessary steps to protect Americans’ sacred right to vote. The Freedom to Vote: John R. Lewis Act protects our democracy by preventing state legislatures, like the Pennsylvania General Assembly, from making it harder for Americans to vote. This bill sets minimum standards which the states must meet — because so many have not.”
Rep. Scanlon continued: “The fact that an archaic Senate rule, which is not in the Constitution, has enabled an extremist minority to hold up such vital legislation is unacceptable — especially in the wake of the all-out assault on the U.S. Constitution that took place on January 6, 2021. Republican obstruction has repeatedly proven that current Senate rules must be changed to ensure the institution delivers on the will of the American people. Our democracy is on the line — Senators must act now.”
For more information about the Freedom to Vote: John R. Lewis Act, see here.
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