FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 13, 2021
Contact: Emily Phelps | press@indivisible.org
Washington, DC — Today, Indivisible released the following statement after the President’s speech on voting rights in Philadelphia:
“We hoped for a modern day version of LBJ’s ‘We Shall Overcome’ speech in support of the Voting Rights Act. But that’s not what we heard.
“It was a frustrating speech because the President clearly understands the urgent threats facing our democracy. And he understands that the For the People Act is essential. But he is either unable or unwilling to follow that basic understanding to a satisfying conclusion - a commitment to throw the full weight of the White House behind overcoming the filibuster and passing the For the People Act.
“If the President wishes to become a historic figure on the order of an LBJ, he’ll have to rise to the historic challenge he so accurately describes. But he will not succeed in passing this bill if he can’t even say the word 'filibuster,’ let alone rally the nation to reform it.
“The President might not have mentioned the filibuster inside the building in Philadelphia — but the Indivisible activists on the street outside calling for the end of the filibuster certainly understood what this fight is about.
“Ahead of the speech, Indivisible described three hopes for this speech. We hoped Biden would describe the threats to democracy and why the For the People Act was essential. We hoped he would describe how the White House planned to campaign to overcome the filibuster and pass the legislation. And we hoped he would demand Congress send him the bill before August recess. The President scored 1 out of 3. That’s not good enough, which means we the people will keep pushing.”
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ABOUT THE INDIVISIBLE PROJECT
The Indivisible Project (501c4) is a social movement non-profit driven by a vision of a real democracy - of, by, and for the people. Indivisible began in 2016 as a viral guide to resisting Trump’s agenda. Today, the Indivisible movement is a network of thousands of local groups and millions of activists across every state. The Indivisible Project drives campaigns for bold progressive policies, lobbies Congress, and equips activists with tools to build lasting progressive power, everywhere. Together, we fight to defeat the rightwing takeover of American government and build an inclusive democracy.