March 15, 2021
The Honorable Dianne Feinstein
United States Senate
331 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510
Dear Senator Feinstein,
We, the 70 undersigned Indivisible chapters and allied groups in California representing over 82,000 of your constituents, ask that you commit to voting to swiftly end the filibuster, particularly given the urgency of passing the “For The People Act.” The timetable for passage of this bill is extremely time-sensitive given that its mandated independent redistricting commissions must be formed in time to prevent gerrymandered Congressional district lines for the next decade.
President Biden recently warned that the United States is "facing an unprecedented assault on our democracy - a never-before-seen effort to ignore, undermine, and undo the will of the people, and a newly aggressive attack on voting rights taking place right now all across the country." HIs words could not be more clear, or more stark.
We agree that fair representation and voter access in America are under direct attack. We ask that you do all you can to protect these pillars of our democratic republic.
Most urgently, passage of the “For the People Act” provides a once-in-a-generation opportunity to protect our democracy from this assault. The Act expands voting rights, changes campaign finance laws to reduce the influence of money in politics, limits partisan gerrymandering, and creates new ethics rules for federal officeholders. The “For the People Act” fulfills our democratic ideal of a government that truly works for every single American.
Americans of both parties overwhelmingly support this bill. A February poll found that 83 percent of Americans across party lines approve of the “For the People Act.” Specific reforms within the bill are extremely popular, with most provisions receiving support of 90 percent or higher. The poll also found that passing the “For the People Act” increases voters’ trust in Democrats to deliver on other critical issues impacting Americans’ daily lives.
Yet, in the face of this resounding bipartisan public support for voting rights, Republican state legislators across the country have introduced more than 250 voter suppression bills in 2021. A particularly egregious example is a new law proposed by Georgia Republicans which would restrict weekend voting. This restriction would directly threaten the long-standing “souls to the polls” tradition in Black communities to vote after Sunday church services.
A crucial question now confronts you and your fellow Democrats in the Senate. Will you move swiftly to take the necessary steps to pass the “For the People Act?” Your answer to this question will affect our democracy for decades to come.
It is widely agreed that the “For the People Act” will most certainly not pass if the filibuster is left intact. This belief is supported by the fact that every single Republican Senator refused to vote for the “American Rescue Plan Act” in spite of support from 77% of Americans, including 59% of Republicans, making it one of the most popular pieces of major legislation in American history. Amidst the worst public health and economic crises of our lifetimes, Republican lawmakers unanimously opposed a lifeline to the American people.
The filibuster is an arcane and unconstitutional Senate practice used by segregationists to prevent majority rule. Erwin Chemerinsky, constitutional law scholar and dean of Berkeley Law, states, “The filibuster is profoundly anti-democratic. Senators representing 21 states with a combined population of just over 30 million can block legislation favored by 59 Senators representing 300 million persons. The filibuster should be eliminated or at least reformed so that it is less likely to allow the minority in the Senate to block virtually any legislation.”
In your nearly three decades of service in the United States Senate, you have consistently fought for voting rights, the environment, gun safety, and LGBTQ rights, among other issues of importance to our country. Progress on all of those crucial issues will be sacrificed in this Congress if the filibuster is left intact. While we appreciate your commitment to bipartisanship, that concept, unfortunately, no longer shapes today’s polarized Senate proceedings.
There does not appear to be a path to compromise on this issue. Senate Democrats must choose to overhaul the filibuster or sacrifice voting rights, along with other crucial legislation that the American people support. We hope that you will use your hard-earned position of seniority and leadership to publicly take the side of democracy.
Please vote to end the filibuster in order to pass the “For the People Act” and other critical legislation in the coming year.
Sincerely,
Action SF
California Sanctuary Campaign
CBFD Indivisible San Diego
Central Valley indivisible
Change Begins With ME (Indivisible)
Defending Our Future, Indivisible in CA 52nd District
Democracy Action
East Valley Indivisibles
Hillcrest Indivisible
INDI2
Indivisible 46
Indivisible Antelope Valley
Indivisible Assembly District 2
Indivisible Auburn
Indivisible Beach Cities
Indivisible CA-33
Indivisible CA-37
Indivisible CA-39
Indivisible CA-43
Indivisible CA-7
Indivisible CA25 Simi Valley Porter Ranch
Indivisible California Green Team
Indivisible Claremont / Inland Valley
Indivisible Colusa County
Indivisible: Conejo
Indivisible East Bay
Indivisible Elmwood
Indivisible Marin
Indivisible Media City Burbank
Indivisible Mendocino k
Indivisible Napa
Indivisible Normal Heights
Indivisible OC 49th
Indivisible Petaluma
Indivisible ReSisters Walnut Creek
Indivisible Ross Valley
Indivisible Sacramento
Indivisible San Diego Persist
Indivisible San Jose
Indivisible San Pedro
Indivisible Sausalito
Indivisible SF Peninsula and CA-14
Indivisible Sonoma County
Indivisible South Bay LA
Indivisible Stanislaus
Indivisible Ventura
Indivisible West Marin
Indivisible Windsor
Indivisible Yolo
IndivisibleSF
Livermore Indivisible
Mill Valley Community Action Network (MVCAN)
Mountain Progressives
Northridge Indivisible
Orchard City Indivisible
Orinda Progressive Action Alliance
Postcards for America, California
Rooted in Resistance
Santa Cruz Indivisible
SFV Indivisible
Sister District Marin
Sister District San Francisco
STAND STRONG LA INDIVISIBLE
Swing Left Contra Costa
Swing Left Marin
Swing Left Peninsula
TWW/Indivisible - Los Gatos
Venice Resistance
Wellstone Democratic Renewal Club
Women's March Santa Barbara
