70+ Companies Urge the Senate to Pass the For the People Act
WASHINGTON, D.C. — In an open letter published on Monday, over 70 companies signed an open letter entitled “Corporate America Supports the For the People Act” urging the Senate to pass the legislation which they will consider this week. The companies, which included the National Hockey League, Patagonia and Tumblr wrote that federal legislation such as S. 1 and the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act are desperately needed in the face of efforts by state legislatures to “silence our fellow Americans’ voices, especially the voices of Black, Brown, young, disabled, and working class voters.”
It is expected that the version of the For the People Act that the Senate will vote on this week will look different from that passed by the U.S. House after Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) proposed a slate of changes to the legislation that could help win his vote. Notably, the corporate letter includes a list of specific provisions of S. 1 that signees feel are vital in order to “override many of the abusive state laws that make it harder for millions to cast their ballots.” The signees support many provisions that Manchin does not, including same-day Election Day registration and the restoration of voting rights individuals with past felony convictions.