New Democrat Coalition Endorses H.R. 1 and H.R. 4
The New Democrat Coalition (NDC) endorsed H.R. 1 and H.R. 4, the first legislative endorsements of the 116th Congress. NDC Members proposed many of the pro-democracy, anti-corruption reforms included in the packages, ranging from election security measures, ethics reforms, transparent campaign ads, and other voting rights measures.
H.R. 1, the For the People Act, is a sweeping campaign finance and election reform bill that seeks to restore the voice of the American people in their democracy by making it easier to vote, ending the dominance of big money in the political process and ensuring public officials work for the public interest.
H.R. 4, the Voting Rights Advancement Act, introduced by NDC Vice Chair Terri Sewell seeks to address the most egregious forms of recent voter suppression by developing a process to determine which states and localities with a recent history of voting rights violations must pre-clear election changes with the Department of Justice.
“Today is a proud day for the New Democrat Coalition. As we continue to broaden our ranks, New Democrats are excited to lead the way on policy by endorsing two of the top legislative priorities for the Democratic Caucus – H.R. 1 and H.R. 4,” said New Democrat Coalition Chair Derek Kilmer. “This Congress, Democrats will continue to heed the call of the American electorate and restore faith in our democracy. I am excited to see the Coalition endorsing legislation that protects voting rights and strengthens ethics rules. Congress must ensure that public officials serve the public interest and that the government works for the people. We now urge our colleagues on both sides of the aisle to join us in voting for these historic pieces of legislation.”
“I’m proud that The Voting Rights Advancement Act is among the first bills that the New Democrat Coalition endorsed this Congress. In my hometown of Selma and throughout Alabama’s 7th Congressional District, Americans bled, marched and died for the right to vote, but the modern-day voter suppression we saw in the 2018 mid-term elections shows that old battles have become new again,” New Democrat Coalition Vice Chair Terri Sewell said. “Since the Supreme Court’s Shelby vs. Holder decision, many states have enacted more restrictive voting laws that have led us in the wrong direction. The Voting Rights Advancement Act helps protect and advance the legacy of those brave foot soldiers of the civil rights movement by restoring key provisions of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and empowering the Justice Department to stop voter suppression tactics before they go into place.”
Video from today’s press conference on the endorsement can be found here. These are first two bills to be officially endorsed by the Coalition utilizing an updated internal procedure NDC implemented earlier this year.
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