Senator Murray: “We need to update the way this body functions in order to restore the Senate to make sure the world’s greatest deliberative body actually deliberates the issues and challenges the American people are facing.”
Senator Murray: “To be absolutely clear: we cannot let the filibuster stop us from ever debating voting rights or any other issue one member might find objectionable.”
***READ SENATOR MURRAY’S MEDIUM POST HERE***
(Washington, D.C.) – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) released a Medium post stressing the need to pass strong voting rights protections—and that if Senate Republicans continue to block Democrats’ attempts to even debate voting rights legislation, Democrats should reform Senate rules to restore the Senate. The post lays out why Senator Murray believes passing voting rights is the most important thing the Senate must do this Congress, and why she believes Senate rules must be updated to restore faith in the Senate.
“The rules are pushing Democrats and Republicans further into their corners rather than towards collaboration, making it unbelievably easy to block legislative action, and nearly impossible to start it,” writes Senator Murray. “That’s why I’ve been speaking with my colleagues about two important steps I believe we need to act on as soon as possible this year. First; I believe that we absolutely have to carve out a path to pass strong federal voting rights protections this Congress. Second; we need to update the way this body functions in order to restore the Senate to make sure the world’s greatest deliberative body actually deliberates the issues and challenges the American people are facing.”
Senator Murray is determined to make sure the Senate can act on voting rights, and has consistently stated that federal voting rights protections are a top priority for her. In March, Murray also announced her support for an exemption to the filibuster on voting rights protections, telling the Spokesman-Review, “the For the People Act is essential to making sure our democracy stays a democracy and I will consider every legislative option, including an exemption to the filibuster, to ensure it can be signed into law.”
“To be absolutely clear: we cannot let the filibuster stop us from ever debating voting rights or any other issue one member might find objectionable,” Senator Murray continues in the post. “If it’s the filibuster or democracy, I’ll choose our democracy. If it’s Senate rules or a Senate that works for the American people, I’ll choose a Senate that works.”
Senator Murray has been a long-time advocate of improving voting access and election security to make sure every eligible American has the ability to vote. An original cosponsor of the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, Senator Murray helped reintroduce the bill in October of this year. Following House passage of the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act earlier this summer, Senator Murray called for quick action using all legislative tools available to pass the bill. Senator Murray has also been a vocal advocate for the Freedom to Vote Act, and has pushed for the Senate to take action on the bill.
Read the full Medium post HERE.
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