Chairwoman Klobuchar Announces Hearing on ‘For the People’ Act to Strengthen Democracy, Make it Easier to Vote, and End Dominance of Dark Money in Politics

Senate Committee on Rules and Administration will hold the hearing on Wednesday, March 24, 2021

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Chairwoman of the Committee on Rules and Administration with oversight of federal elections and campaign finance law, announced that the Committee would hold its hearing on the For The People Act on Wednesday, March 24, 2021. This will be the first time the bill has had a hearing in the Senate.

“I will continue to work to make it easier for all eligible Americans to vote and to halt the flood of special interest money that is drowning out the voices of the American people,” said Senator Klobuchar. “I am proud that key proposals to help reform our elections and campaign finance system – such as the Honest Ads Act – are included in this bill. Our hearing on this legislation sends a clear message that strengthening our democracy is a top priority in the Senate Rules Committee.”

“Efforts by the powerful and privileged to increase voter intimidation and voter suppression in order to drown out the People’s voice are a cancer threatening our democracy,” said Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR), the sponsor of the For the People Act. “The For the People Act is an urgently needed remedy that will strengthen voting rights and root out corruption, so we can restore our constitutional vision of a ‘We the People’ America, and of a more perfect union. I look forward to participating in its first-ever Senate hearing so we can get it to the floor and onto President Biden’s desk for his signature.”

The For the People Act would enact sweeping pro-democracy reforms to make it easier to vote, end the dominance of big money in politics, and ensure that public officials work for the public interest. Important reforms in the bill include guaranteeing every American citizen full access to the ballot by combating voter intimidation and suppression, which are rooted in systemic racism; ending the corrupting power of dark money in our elections; and putting an end to partisan gerrymandering. The For the People Act would also expand access to our democracy by ensuring all Americans have access to early voting and voting by mail. 

Witnesses, time, and location will be announced at a later date. The hearing will be broadcast live on the Rules Committee website: HERE.

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