Today, Evergreen Action Executive Director Jamal Raad released the following statement in response to Mitch McConnell’s abuse of the filibuster to throttle debate on critical voting rights legislation: 

“The Senate must pass the For the People Act because we can’t heal our climate with a sick democracy. A minority of GOP Senators are using the Jim Crow filibuster to obstruct even debating popular, common-sense voting rights legislation while racist and restrictive state laws attack the right to vote. Americans’ voting rights are under threat at the same time as their communities face the devastating impacts of climate change. Time is of the essence. Inaction on our democratic crisis will accelerate the climate crisis by allowing a climate-denying political party to manipulate our election process and obstruct climate solutions against the will of the majority. Senate Democrats must move quickly to abolish the Jim Crow filibuster and pass common-sense voting rights legislation.

“The American people want climate action and good paying jobs in a clean energy economy. When Americans voted for Democratic majorities, they gave Congress a mandate to deliver a bold clean energy economic recovery. But Mitch McConnell has made it clear that he will continue to abuse the filibuster on behalf of his fossil fuel benefactors to block popular climate solutions. Now Senate Democrats have a clear choice: defend the abuse of an outdated Senate rule or protect our climate. Americans won’t accept ‘we only had 51 votes’ as an excuse this year when climate-fueled hurricane and wildfire seasons devastate entire communities. Senate Democrats must stand firm and stand together to deliver the bold agenda for climate, jobs, and justice."

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