With less than one week to go until the midterms, People For the American Way is pushing pedal to the metal to pull out wins in key states and districts across the country. But in addition to investing in critical races nationwide, PFAW and allied organizations have been preparing for the opportunity to pass sweeping democracy reforms in the next Congress, provided that Democrats win at least a House majority.
The Declaration for American Democracy, a coalition consisting of more than 100 organizations, publicly launched on October 30. For months, we have been working behind the scenes to mobilize support for a range of proposals including campaign finance reform, voting rights and ethics reforms, with the goal of getting a bill package passed soon after the 116th Congress is sworn in next year.
“Perhaps now more than ever, Americans are united in their desire to see real reforms to strengthen and protect democracy,” said People For the American Way Executive Vice President Marge Baker. “The Declaration for American Democracy is a driving force to create a political system that serves the interests of all people, not just the privileged and the powerful.”
Immediately following the midterms, the Declaration for American Democracy coalition is working to organize in-district meetings with congressional offices across the country to build a foundation of support leading into 2019. Concurrently a team of coalition advocates will continue meeting with offices on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. to ensure that the need for systemic democracy reforms stays top of mind for Congress during the lame duck session.
While plans for advancing these important reforms are coming together in the background, for now all eyes remain on November 6.