End Citizens United and Let America Vote President Tiffany Muller released the following statement calling for additional election preparedness funding following passage of the Phase 3 COVID-19 package:
“We are grateful Congress came together to pass this relief package, and Democrats deserve credit for placing important safeguards in this bill to protect the American people from President Trump’s and Senate Republicans’ reckless attempt to create a corporate bailout slush fund. Democrats shifted the focus of this relief package back toward American workers.
“We’re also grateful to Speaker Pelosi––who proposed $4 billion––and Leader Schumer for their efforts to increase vitally needed funding for election preparedness. Unfortunately, Republicans refuse to take this issue seriously. The harsh reality our democracy is facing is that $400 million is not nearly enough money to ensure states can administer safe, free, and fair elections in the midst of a global pandemic. Many states still have to complete primaries and we do not know what the state of the pandemic will be in November.
“Republicans have been disenfranchising people for years, and we cannot allow them to use a pandemic as an excuse to further disenfranchise even more Americans. Safe, free, and fair elections are essential to a functioning government that has the faith of the people. Congress must act swiftly in the face of this global pandemic.”
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