Americans expect and deserve a strong democracy, but we can never take the health of our democratic system for granted. The For the People Act (H.R. 1) brings to bear transformative reforms that will help safeguard our democracy which has been increasingly under attack by enemies both foreign and domestic. It has become clear that we must shore up the defenses of our democracy by expanding access to the franchise, empowering the voices of everyday Americans in our elections, and upholding strong ethical standards in government. H.R. 1 contains reforms that address all three pillars. Many of the solutions in H.R. 1 have worked successfully at the state and local level for years.

In the 2020 election, in addition to choosing a new president, Americans across the country continued to demand and pass democracy reforms at the state and local level, and they expect the same from their representatives in Congress. Common Cause strongly supports the For the People Act and the reforms and democratic safeguards it will provide.

We commend Speaker Pelosi, Chairperson Lofgren, and Representative Sarbanes for introducing this legislation as the first bill in the 117th Congress and will continue to mobilize our 1.5 million supporters to contact their Members of Congress to urge its swift passage.