(Washington, D.C., Thursday, March 24, 2022) – When President Joe Biden took office two weeks after the attempted coup on January 6, 2021, his inaugural address spoke about the deep divides within the political landscape, the importance of preserving democracy, and the sanctity of the electoral process.

President Biden said that voting rights were the most important domestic policy issue. His administration promised the American people—specifically communities of color—that he would restore confidence in the ballot box.

The Senate last voted on voting reform in mid-January. It came up two votes short of passing the Freedom to Vote: John R. Lewis Act. Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA) stated the obvious: “Some people don’t want some people to vote.”

Since 2021, 19 states passed 34 laws restricting access to voting under the guise of preserving election integrity – far more than in any other year in the last decade. This infringement on voting rights is a fundamental threat to American democracy.

Voting rights must be the Senate’s number one priority. The Freedom to Vote: John R. Lewis Act will expand voter access to elections, curb the excessive influence of money in politics, and reinstate key provisions of the 1965 Voting Rights Act. It will beat back the numerous voter suppression laws passed by state legislatures after the 2020 election.

The Friends Committee on National Legislation (FCNL) lobbies Congress and the administration to advance peace, justice, opportunity, and environmental stewardship. Founded in 1943 by members of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers), FCNL fields an expert team of lobbyists on Capitol Hill and works with a grassroots network of thousands of people to advocate for peace and justice. FCNL is a nonpartisan organization with a long and trusted record of working across political divides to achieve positive change.