Catholic Lobby Condemns Republican Use of the Filibuster on S.1 Vote

For Immediate Release: June 22, 2021
Contact: Colleen Ross, [email protected], 202-601-7877

Catholic Lobby Condemns Republican Use of the Filibuster on S.1 Vote

Sr. Quincy Howard: “Every Senator who voted against advancing S.1 should consider which side they are on.”

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, the Senate failed to secure 60 votes needed for a procedural vote to overcome Senator Mitch McConnell’s filibuster and begin debate on the For the People Act (S.1). The Senate voted 50-50, to block consideration of this bill, despite its strong national support.

NETWORK Lobby previously expressed opposition to the filibuster, including both historical and present-day uses of the filibuster that prevent progress by protecting racist policies and practices.

NETWORK calls on the Senate to bypass the filibuster and approve S.1, the For the People Act, to protect our democracy, oppose voting restrictions (which have a disproportionate impact on Black, brown, and Native American communities), and affirm the human dignity of all voters. The NETWORK community will continue educating, organizing, and lobbying for S.1 this summer.

In response to today’s vote, NETWORK released the following statements:

Sister Quincy Howard, OP, Government Relations Specialist at NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice, said:

“The Senate’s actions today are shameful and damaging to our democracy. Money should not be able to buy elections and it should not be able to buy our democracy either. Every Senator who voted against advancing S.1 reforms should consider which side they are on: the side of empowering voters or the side of voter suppression and money in politics.

“Our democracy is in grave danger. A functional, representative democracy is the only path forward to breathe new life into our nation, to heal, to find peace, to solve problems, and to create the world we want to see.”

Mary J. Novak, Executive Director of NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice:

“Once again, the filibuster blocks progress on racial justice and equity in our country. S.1, the For the People Act, is made up of bold, bipartisan democracy reforms to protect the freedom to vote and strengthen our electoral system. Today, all 50 Republican Senators used the filibuster to block efforts to protect our democracy. Much like their obstruction of a bipartisan January 6th Commission, they avoid deliberations that might get at the legacy of white supremacy and its continued threat to our democratic institutions.

“The filibuster blocks debate. The filibuster blocks justice. The Senate must make a way to advance S.1. We need inclusive, fair, functional elections so that We the People are truly represented by our elected leaders.”

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NETWORK, a national Catholic Social Justice lobby, which educates, organizes, and lobbies for economic and social transformation, has a nearly 50-year track record of lobbying for critical federal programs that support those at the margins and prioritize the common good.

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