WASHINGTON, D.C. — On January 4, Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives introduced H.R. 1, the For the People Act of 2021. Two years ago, the House passed this once-in-a-generation legislative package, and House Democrats have vowed to move quickly on this new version of the bill. This transformative legislation contains bold solutions to strengthen voting rights to empower American voters, reduce big money and dark money in politics, and impose stronger ethics restrictions on public officials.
The Center for American Progress has long advocated for pro-voter and anti-corruption policies and has been a leading member of the Declaration for American Democracy, a diverse coalition of more than 170 organizations representing tens of millions of Americans in demanding strong, clear solutions to make our democracy more representative of everyday Americans.
The For the People Act contains hundreds of policies designed to curb voter suppression, gerrymandering, and the dominance of special interests in our political system. The legislation would take steps to give Americans far more options to vote safely and securely; create a small-donor matching system that would reduce the power of wealthy, special interests; bright light on secret money and foreign money in our elections; and impose far tighter ethical restrictions on presidents, including by requiring them to disclose copies of their tax returns. President-elect Joe Biden has been a pro-democracy champion for decades and has vowed to prioritize the types of bold reforms contained in this legislation as president.
Following the introduction of the legislation, Sam Berger, vice president of Democracy and Government Reform, issued the following statement:
After four years of voter suppression and widespread corruption, this legislation offers a historic opportunity to fix the way that government works and return power to people—including communities of color that have long been marginalized. Cleaning up government corruption and ensuring that the most important voice in shaping elections is everyday Americans will help us make progress on critical priorities such as lowering drug prices, creating better-paying jobs, and combating climate change. To restore Americans’ trust in government, CAP urges the House to quickly pass the For the People Act.
Additional resources:
*“Bold Democracy Reform Is a Cornerstone Principle for Democrats” by Michael Sozan
*“Recent Political Scandals the ‘For the People Act’ Would Prevent From Recurring” by Michael Sozan and Will Ragland
*Video: “The House’s First Bill Is a Game Changer for Democracy”
*Video: “Why Do So Many Conservatives Oppose Anti-Corruption Reform?“
For more information or to speak with an expert, please contact Sam Hananel at shananel@americanprogress.org or (202) 478-6327.
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