Issued June 22, 2021
WASHINGTON, DC - Service Employees International Union (SEIU) President Mary Kay Henry released the following statement today after a motion to proceed to debate on the For the People Act — a legislative package addressing voting rights, campaign finance, and ethics reforms failed in the US Senate:
“Working people turned out in record numbers to vote for change in 2020, and shifted the balance of power in our nation. By failing to move forward with the For the People Act Republican Senators have shown that they support the racist and undemocratic attacks on the fundamental freedoms afforded to all Americans. The same Republican Senators who blocked a bipartisan investigation into a deadly attack on our Capitol are using the same loophole to block legislation that the majority of voters across the political spectrum have overwhelmingly demanded to protect our freedom to vote.
“It’s no secret that self-interested Republican lawmakers in Georgia, Arizona, Texas and other states have introduced and passed racist laws to take away our freedom to vote as a response to last year’s historic election. These legislative efforts, along with the unprecedented violent insurrection on Capitol Hill, are fueled by unfounded and racist stolen election claims and direct attempts to delegitimize the voices of voters who demanded change. The For the People Act is an opportunity to end this assault on our democracy, we cannot let the arcane rules of the Senate block the will of the American people. The majority of the people and the Senate support the For the People Act, we must pass voting rights reform now.
“SEIU members, worker leaders in the Fight for $15 and a Union, and our allies will continue to fight to protect the freedom to vote so we can build an inclusive, multiracial democracy where all of us can participate, no matter where we are from or what color we are. Our voices will be heard in our workplaces, city halls, state capitols and Washington, DC. Those elected officials and corporations who support these racist, anti-voter efforts will also be held accountable for their role in the attacks on our democracy."
###