Who’s against the For the People Act?

You guessed it: the Republicans! The vote on S1 yesterday was 50 in favor. Fifty Democrats. Not one Republican voted yes! In the face of this, I am proud to say that the president of the Unitarian Universalist Association had something to say about it:

On Wednesday, June 23, 2021, Rev. Dr. Susan Frederick-Gray, President of the Unitarian Universalist Association [my religious denomination] released the following statement: 

“I join faith leaders across the country and demand that the United States Senate vote yes to debate and then pass the For the People Act. As a Unitarian Universalist minister, I call on all senators to follow their elected duty and moral conscience to maintain the integrity of our democracy and voting rights. And I decry any use of the filibuster to block this critical legislation. We must protect everyone’s fundamental right to vote—especially Black, Brown, Indigenous and low-income communities that have been disenfranchised for generations.

“In fact, we must end the procedural filibuster because it renders our government ineffective and obstructs the will of the people. The filibuster has historically been abused and wielded to prevent vital civil rights and voting rights legislation from being passed. Conservatives must stop retelling the Big Lie as a false reason to shut down this legislation. They fear the For the People Act because it will nullify their state bills that thwart free access to the polls—through throw-back Jim Crow legislation. The UU faith tradition upholds democratic principles and the inherent worth of all people and we believe that every voice matters, every vote matters.

“Pass the For the People Act, end the filibuster, and let the voice of the people be heard.

I completely agree with Rev. Frederick-Gray’s statement. Let the people say, “Amen!”