CLC President Trevor Potter Calls for Senate to Approve Pro-Voter Legislation Ahead of Debate

Date
Case
Passing the “Freedom to Vote Act” To Create A Democracy That Works for Us All
Passing the “John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act” To Combat Racially Targeted Attacks on Americans’ Freedom To Vote
Issues
Voting and Elections
Redistricting
Campaign Finance

Trevor Potter, president of Campaign Legal Center (CLC), and a Republican Former Chairman of the Federal Election Commission, released the below statement ahead of Senate debate of the Freedom to Vote: John R. Lewis Act:

"I, like many of you, am anxious to see what will happen on the Senate floor starting today. With the Freedom to Vote: John R. Lewis Act (H.R. 5746), the U.S. Senate has an opportunity to require a strong, free and fair voting system in this country and ensure the ability for every American to participate in safe, accessible and transparent elections.

In the year since the 2020 elections, which saw record-breaking voter turnout, numerous states across our country have responded to that turnout by passing new laws designed to make it harder for some citizens to vote.

In response, the Freedom to Vote: John R. Lewis Act has been crafted to implement crucial measures aimed at strengthening our democracy. It aims to achieve goals that have long had bipartisan support and are viewed favorably by a majority of Americans. These goals include prohibiting gerrymandering, increasing disclosure of money spent in federal elections, protecting the freedom to vote and fighting election sabotage by protecting the independence of election officials.

These basic improvements to our election system should never have become partisan issues. But in the Senate, with the chamber’s current structure, that is what they have become.

It is so critically important that the Senate begin debate on H.R. 5746 this afternoon. It is also crucial that Senators take the time to publicly discuss and debate this bill that such a significant topic requires. For far too long, these measures have languished due to obstruction by political actors who ignore the calls of their constituents as they adhere to other loyalties.

What this bill deserves and what the American people deserve is a full and honest debate on the Freedom to Vote: John R. Lewis Act."