Statement on the Senate’s Failure to Reform Filibuster Rules
Contact: Lynsey Billet, lynsey@anatgerstein.com, 347.361.8449
January 20, 2021
(NEW YORK) — Last night, the United States Senate failed to reform the filibuster rules which would have allowed the Senate to end debate with 51 votes rather than 60 and proceed to a vote on final passage of the Freedom to Vote: John R. Lewis Act. Ann Toback, CEO of the Workers Circle, released the following statement in response:
“The Workers Circle condemns the actions last night of every Senate Republican and the two Senate Democrats who voted to protect the filibuster rather than the right of every American to cast a ballot freely, equally, and safely. The Workers Circle reiterates our call, first made by us in 1957, for an end to the filibuster as a fundamental matter of racial justice.”
“In the face of an onslaught of state laws passed and proposed that will restrict the access to the ballot for millions of Americans, many designed to keep Black and brown voters from the polls, our democracy is in real danger. Our country urgently needs the protections of the Freedom to Vote: John R. Lewis Act, which sets national standards that ensure equal access to the ballot for every American. The Workers Circle is proud to be a part of a national coalition of voting rights activists all committed to continuing the fight for voting rights legislation and working to organize the American public in support of this critical campaign. The majority of voters in the United States are committed to joining this fight for our democracy and we are here to lead and support those efforts.”
“Though the road to protecting the freedom to vote got harder last night, we will not turn back. We will not slow down. We will not relent from our commitment to ensure that the promise of American democracy is made real for every American. And we remind all senators of the words of Dr. King, ‘The time is always ripe for doing good.’”
About the Workers Circle
Founded more than 120 years ago, the Workers Circle (formerly known as the Workmen’s Circle) is a social justice organization that powers progressive Jewish identity through Jewish cultural engagement, Yiddish language learning, multigenerational education, and social justice activism. For over a century we have provided this 360-degree approach to Jewish identity-building. Through contemporary cultural programs, strategic social justice campaigns, vibrant Yiddish language classes, interactive educational experiences and more, we connect Jewish adults, kids and families of all affiliations with their cultural heritage, working to build a better and more beautiful world for all. Learn more at www.circle.org.