January 22, 2022

Dear Friends,

On Monday our nation celebrated the profound life and legacy of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., an icon whose impact on our communities and the hearts of the American people cannot be overstated. 

With his powerful words, decisive actions, and clear moral vision, Dr. King was able to help others see his dream of a better world.

A true prophet for justice, Dr. King understood the fundamental importance of protecting our right to vote, and fought for this right throughout his life. In 1957 before a crowd gathered at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC, he said, “So long as I do not firmly and irrevocably possess the right to vote, I do not possess myself.” Without the right to vote, our other freedoms and liberties cannot endure.

Standing on the shoulders of giants like Dr. King and late congressman and my dear friend John R. Lewis, who lived and bled in the name of justice, Democrats in the House have set to work and passed critical legislation that would protect voting rights for every American.

We advanced the H.R. 1, the For the People Act, and H.R. 4, the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act. These critical measures would safeguard our fragile democracy by removing institutional barriers to voting, ending the dominance of big, dark money in politics, creating new, stronger ethics standards for federal officeholders, and restoring the full power of the original Voting Rights Act—historic legislation that Republican Presidents Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush all supported as a pillar of our democracy.

With long established voting laws under attack across our country, this legislation is vital in order to preserve this sacred right for future generations. That’s why I was so disappointed this week in the Senate’s failure to act on these crucial, historic measures. Republican obstruction and the archaic institution of the filibuster prevented these widely popular measures from becoming law.

Our democracy is at stake. We cannot allow these essential bills to be continuously cut down because of a procedural Senate rule that is not in the Constitution and that has allowed the minority to dictate the will of the majority for decades.

The Senate’s refusal to eliminate the filibuster to pass voting rights for the people reflects a deeply disturbing pattern in which this antiquated rule is most frequently used to cut down progress on civil rights.

Dr. King himself knew of and spoke about the dangerous use of the filibuster to block the will of the people and stifle democracy. He said:

“I think the tragedy is that we have a Congress with a Senate that has a minority of misguided Senators who will use the filibuster to keep the majority of people from even voting. They won’t let the majority Senators vote. And certainly they wouldn’t want the majority of people to vote, because they know they do not represent the majority of the American people.” 

The use of the filibuster to block democratic reforms and entrench minority rule must end. Despite this week’s setback in the Senate, my colleagues and I cannot and will not be deterred in our fight for democracy. As Dr. King said, “the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.”

Change can be difficult and slow, but we must always keep fighting for justice. I will continue to work to protect your right to vote and to make our democracy work for all Americans. Even in times of disappointment, we all must remember Dr. King’s courage, his perseverance, and his famous refrain: “We Shall Overcome.”

As always, thank you for reading.

Your friend,

DID YOU KNOW?

Throughout this pandemic, my office and I have worked to make sure you remain informed with the latest updates and recommendations from federal agencies.  With that in mind, here is some information from the IRS that may be of interest to you:

• The IRS has announced guidelines and locations for this year’s Volunteer Income Tax Assistance and Tax Clinics for the Elderly programs.
  • The Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program (VITA) provides help preparing income tax returns for people who earn $58,000 or less, the elderly, the disabled, and people who speak limited English.
  • The Tax Clinics for the Elderly program (TCE) provides free tax counseling and federal return preparation to all individuals aged 60 or older.
• Most VITA and TCE sites are located at community centers, libraries, schools, and other convenient locations.  To locate your nearest VITA or TCE site, use the VITA Locator Tool or call 800-906-9887.
• Many of those who were eligible for an Economic Impact Payment or Advance Child Tax Credit payment in 2021 are not normally required to file an income tax return.
  • If you do not normally file a tax return, preparing a 2021 return and claiming these benefits may be difficult.  The VITA and TCE programs are here to help.
• To ensure full service, call the VITA or TCE site before going, check on the services provided using IRS Publication 3676-B, and learn What to Bring at IRS.gov