The 116th Congress was historic for many reasons. Historians will point to the obvious — the third impeachment of a president in U.S. history and the underwhelming Special Counsel Report by Robert Mueller that led up to it. But for the long term interest of the republic, the 116th Congress should be noted as a harbinger of change. What that change looks like depends on which chamber you look at and which path voters decide to follow in November 2020.

In the House of Representatives, the 116th Congress will be known for the largest and most diverse class of new members in a dramatic shift in the balance of power. They came to Washington on a mission reflected in the For the People Act. Designated as H.R. 1, a statement of the highest priority given to the most sweeping democracy reform bill ever introduced, this comprehensive, democracy reform package includes a bold set of solutions already working in cities and states across the country.

As dynamic, diverse, and hopeful as the House was, the Senate was a harbinger of a different kind of change; darker, a dearth of ideas, and grim foreshadowing of a time when dissent and debate aren’t allowed. The GOP, with the exception of Sen. Mitt Romney (UT), moved in near lock-step under Leader McConnell’s iron grip, and failed to stand up to President Trump’s continued abuses of power and disregard for the rule of law.

The Senate’s decision not to convict President Trump on charges of abuse of power or obstruction of Congress at the impeachment trial emboldened him and his administration. From trying to suppress votes in predominantly Black and Brown communities, to excluding undocumented individuals from the Census, to disrupting the United States Postal Service to create confusion and cast doubt on voting by mail, President Trump has shown that he will use every lever of government to benefit himself.

President Trump’s abuses of power are especially egregious when seen in light of the global COVID-19 pandemic. As he stokes fears about the integrity of our elections, his party files multiple lawsuits in swing states against common-sense voting reforms, such as expanded vote-by-mail and ballot drop boxes. Now, millions of Americans will be asked to choose between risking their health and their right to vote this year.

If the primaries are any indication, it appears the people are ready to overcome any obstacle to make sure their voices are heard in 2020. To help them hold power accountable at the ballot box, Common Cause today published the Bilan de la démocratie 2020.

2020 DEMOCRACY SCORECARD

As part of our nonpartisan mission, Common Cause publishes a Tableau de bord de la démocratie every election cycle to help concerned citizens evaluate every current member of Congress on key democracy reform issues and build support for these solutions. We do not endorse or oppose any candidates in the scorecard — rather, we strongly urge all voters to check the record and work to hold power accountable.

What the Bilan de la démocratie 2020 makes plain is the blatant disregard for democracy reforms in the Senate. The House of Representatives passed nearly 10 democracy reform bills, often with bipartisan support, this session, but Majority Leader Mitch McConnell blocked debate and mark-ups on all of these bills and refused to allow a vote. “In fact, the Senate’s inaction has the 116th Congress on track to be the least productive in history, with just one percent of the bills becoming law,” says Aaron Scherb, author of the Bilan de la démocratie 2020.

Despite this inaction, we wanted to ensure all Members of Congress got a fair evaluation in the Bilan de la démocratie 2020. We sent each congressional office four letters listing the bills included in this year’s Scorecard to make sure every member of Congress knew which bills he or she was being evaluated on. Since these letters were sent, a combined total of more than 150 cosponsors have been added to these collective bills so voters can know what their Members of Congress are doing to protect our democracy.

If enacted, the measures included in the Bilan de la démocratie 2020 would:

• Effectively overturn the Supreme Court’s disastrous Citoyens Unis décision
• Renforcer nos lois électorales en mettant à jour les dispositions de la loi sur le droit de vote vidées de leur substance par le Shelby c. Holder décision
• Veiller à ce que tous les résidents soient comptés dans le recensement
• Assurer l’enregistrement automatique afin que les électeurs soient ajoutés aux listes électorales lorsqu’ils interagissent avec les agences de l’État
• Créer des commissions citoyennes indépendantes pour dessiner de nouveaux districts législatifs afin de mettre fin au redécoupage électoral et de garantir que les électeurs choisissent leurs représentants, et non l'inverse
• Renforcer les exigences de transparence en matière de contributions et de dépenses politiques
• Briser le pouvoir de l’argent dans nos élections en encourageant les petites contributions et lutter contre l’influence étrangère dans nos élections
• Renforcer l’interdiction des dépenses politiques par des entités étrangères

Highlights from the Bilan de la démocratie 2020:

• More than 50 House Members supported critical democracy reforms 100 percent of the time
• 16 Senators supported critical democracy reforms at least 90 percent of the time
• Senator Mitt Romney (R-UT) was the highest scoring Republican with two votes related to the impeachment of President Trump
• Vice Presidential candidate Kamala Harris (D-CA) was among the leaders who scored 100 percent
• The states with the strongest democracy reform delegations include California, Illinois, Minnesota, New Mexico and Oregon.

Join us in holding power accountable. Visit and share the Bilan de la démocratie 2020.

And remember: The Bilan de la démocratie 2020 is just one of the resources we provide to voters to hold power accountable. To see where candidates stand on democracy reform, visit NotreDémocratie2020.org. Pour vous porter volontaire pour la protection des élections en tant que surveillant de sondage non partisan, surveillant des médias sociaux et banquier de SMS, visitez ProtectTheVote.net.