• Celebrity
    • Of The Essence
    • Celebrity News
    • If Not For My Girls
    • The State Of R&B
    • Time Of Essence
  • Fashion
    • 2023 Best In Black Fashion Awards
    • 2023 Fashion House
    • Red Carpet
    • Fashion News
    • Accessories
  • Beauty
    • Girls United: Beautiful Possibilities
    • 2023 Best In Black Beauty
    • Skin
    • Makeup
    • Nails
    • Hair
  • Lifestyle
    • Love
    • Parenting
    • Relationships
    • Bridal Bliss
    • Lifestyle News
    • Health & Wellness
    • ESSENCE Eats
    • Travel
    • Food & Drink
  • Entrepreneurship
    • Money & Career
  • News
    • Latest News
    • Paint The Polls Black
    • Culture
    • Politics
  • Shopping
  • Video
  • Events
    • 2023 Fashion House
    • 2023 ESSENCE Festival Of Culture
    • 2023 Wellness House
    • 2023 Black Women In Hollywood
    • 2023 ESSENCE Film Festival
    • 2023 HOLLYWOOD HOUSE
  • Studios
  • Girls United

WHERE BLACK CULTURE, COMMUNITY AND CONSCIOUSNESS MEET

Sign up for ESSENCE Newsletters the keep the Black women at the forefront of conversation.

Your email is required.
Your email is in invalid format.
Confirm email is required.
Email did not match.
Select the newsletters you'd like to receive:
Please select at least one option.
By clicking Subscribe Now, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Skip to content
SUBSCRIBE
  • MAGAZINE
  • NEWSLETTER
  • Celebrity
    • Of The Essence
    • Celebrity News
    • If Not For My Girls
    • The State Of R&B
    • Time Of Essence
  • Fashion
    • 2023 Best In Black Fashion Awards
    • 2023 Fashion House
    • Red Carpet
    • Fashion News
    • Accessories
  • Beauty
    • Girls United: Beautiful Possibilities
    • 2023 Best In Black Beauty
    • Skin
    • Makeup
    • Nails
    • Hair
      • Hair News
      • Natural
      • Relaxed
      • Transitioning
      • Weave
      • 4C
  • Lifestyle
    • Love
    • Parenting
    • Relationships
    • Bridal Bliss
    • Lifestyle News
    • Health & Wellness
    • ESSENCE Eats
    • Travel
    • Food & Drink
  • Entrepreneurship
    • Money & Career
  • News
    • Latest News
    • Paint The Polls Black
    • Culture
    • Politics
  • Shopping
  • Video
  • Events
    • 2023 Fashion House
    • 2023 ESSENCE Festival Of Culture
    • 2023 Wellness House
    • 2023 Black Women In Hollywood
    • 2023 ESSENCE Film Festival
    • 2023 HOLLYWOOD HOUSE
  • Studios
  • Girls United
Home · News

GOP Senators Block "For the People Act"

After Republican filibuster to block the sweeping voting rights legislation, White House, voting rights advocates vow to fight.
GOP Senators Block  “For the People Act”
By Donna M. Owens · Updated June 23, 2021

A sweeping voting rights bill backed by Democrats but derided by Republicans was blocked in the U.S. Senate. A procedural vote on Tuesday to bring the For the People Act to the floor for debate failed. In the evenly divided Senate, lawmakers voted 50-50 along party lines. At least 60 votes were necessary to overcome a GOP-led filibuster.

“Members of the Senate… adhered to a deplorable, century-long tradition of using the filibuster to block civil rights legislation and thwart the will of the American people,” said Marc Morial, President/CEO of the National Urban League in a statement. “The right to vote – a sacred right for which Americans have bled and died – is under attack in our nation’s state legislatures with a ferocity not seen since the dark days of Jim Crow.”

Congresswoman Cori Bush joins a chorus of other officials and advocates calling for an end to the filibuster, precisely because of expected outcomes like Tuesday’s vote. “Republicans just used the filibuster to block legislation from advancing that would protect our right to vote. Let me repeat that: Republicans just filibustered legislation that would help guarantee the right to vote. The filibuster is destroying our democracy. Abolish it,” she tweeted.

Republicans just used the filibuster to block legislation from advancing that would protect our right to vote.

Let me repeat that: Republicans just filibustered legislation that would help guarantee the right to vote.

The filibuster is destroying our democracy. Abolish it.

— Cori Bush (@CoriBush) June 22, 2021

In at least 48 states, Republican state legislatures have introduced a slew of bills and enacted laws that critics say are designed to stop people of color and young people from voting. If passed into law, the For the People Act would enact automatic voter registration, simplify vote-by-mail, expand early voting, and enact redistricting reforms nationwide.

The voting rights measure is backed by Stacey Abrams and her organization Fair Fight Action, as well as When We All Vote, created by former First Lady Michelle Obama.

“Shame on the United States Senators who voted along party lines to block the advancement of the “For the People Act” for a full floor debate,” said Melanie L. Campbell, President/CEO of the National Coalition on Black Civic Participation and convener of the Black Women’s Roundtable.

“Our voting rights are being attacked all over this country for one obvious reason: partisan gain and to keep the right to vote in the hands of a select few.”

President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris–who presided over yesterday’s Senate proceedings– both expressed disappointment in the outcome. 

“The President and I are undeterred, and I know the American people are as well. Like generations before, we will not give up, we will not give in, and we will continue the fight to strengthen the right to vote,” said Harris in a statement. “We will fortify and expand the nationwide coalition on voting rights, and promote voter engagement and registration nationwide. We will lift up leaders in the states who are working to stop anti-voter legislation, and work with leaders in Congress to advance federal legislation that will strengthen voting rights.”

The President, who has asked Harris to lead voting rights reforms, indicated he would have more to say on the matter next week. “But let me be clear. This fight is far from over—far from over. I’ve been engaged in this work my whole career, and we are going to be ramping up our efforts to overcome again—for the people, for our very democracy.”

Campbell vowed: “Black people and our allies will continue to fight for our voting rights in the streets and the Halls of Congress, just as our ancestors did.” 

TOPICS:  congress filibuster voting rights
COMPANY INFORMATION
  • Our Company
  • Customer Service
  • Essence Ventures
  • Change Your Address
  • Contact Us
  • Job Opportunities
  • Internships
  • Media Kit
  • tag
SUBSCRIBE
  • Newsletters
  • Give a Gift of ESSENCE
  • Magazine Tablet Edition
FOLLOW US
MORE ON ESSENCE
  • Home
  • Love
  • Celebrity
  • Beauty
  • Hair
  • Fashion
  • ESSENCE festival

ESSENCE.com is part of ESSENCE Communications, Inc.

Essence may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.

©2023 ESSENCE Communications Inc. All Rights Reserved. | Privacy Policy | Terms of Use | Essence.com Advertising Terms

Get The ESSENCE Newsletter and
Special Offers delivered to your inbox

By clicking Sign Up, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

Get The ESSENCE Magazine
by subscribing below
subscribe now