FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Thursday, Jan 20, 2022

 

MEDIA CONTACT

Austin Schuler, aschuler@faithinpubliclife.org | 540-280-3393

 

National Faith Leader On Failed Voting Rights Debate: 

Keeping the Filibuster “Morally Inexcusable,” But Communities Will “Keep the Faith” In Fight for Justice 

 

Washington, DC – The effort to update filibuster rules in the Senate in order to protect our freedom to vote was defeated by a vote of 52-48.

 

Rev. Jennifer Butler, CEO of Faith in Public Life Action:

“Throughout our history, Americans have come together across race and faith to protest, march and demand that Congress respect and expand our freedom to vote. The Freedom to Vote: John R. Lewis Act continues this moral work today, and we will keep pressing until it is enshrined in law. It is the transformative bill that we desperately need to protect Americans’ freedom to choose our leaders through free and fair elections. 

 

“Shamefully, every Republican politician in the Senate used an old rule from the Jim Crow playbook to defend barriers to voting that target Black, Brown, Asian and Native voters. Democratic Senators Manchin and Sinema joined in this immoral effort as well. Defending the filibuster at a time when it is used to stop voters of color from casting a ballot is morally inexcusable.

 

“Under the leadership of Black and Brown faith leaders, religious communities are providing moral fuel for the movement to defend our freedom to vote. We applaud the 48 Democratic Senators who voted to defend freedom by changing the filibuster. Our movement gets stronger by the day and we will keep the faith in the fight for justice. Our freedom depends on it.”

 

 

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Faith in Public Life Action is a national movement of clergy and faith leaders united in the prophetic pursuit of justice, equality and the common good. Together, with a network of over 50,000 leaders, they are leading the fight to advance just policies at the state and federal level that affirm our values and the human dignity of all.