Washington, DC – Today Clean Water Action joined climate and environmental groups [LINK ] and the Declaration for American Democracy coalition in announcing support for the Freedom to Vote Act, reintroduced by Representative John Sarbanes (D-MD) and Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN).
Clean Water Action President and CEO Jeff Carter issued the following statement:
“Clean Water Action and our thousands of members in Maryland and Minnesota, and hundreds of thousands more nationwide, thank Senator Klobuchar and Representative Sarbanes for their leadership as Freedom to Vote Act sponsors and champions.
“For everyone who cares about healthy communities, clean water, environmental justice and climate change – and that’s a vast majority of all Americans – the right to vote and to have those votes counted is fundamental.
“To make progress on these issues and create a better future for our communities, we must ensure we have a democracy that is reflective of the American people. It is no coincidence that those most affected by restrictive voting laws – communities of color, people with disabilities, low income voters – also disproportionately bear the burden of pollution. We need national action to ensure that all voices are heard and that the will of the people prevails.
“A strong, healthy democracy is the best antidote to the corrosive and corrupting influence of special interests and big corporate polluters who would undermine our most important environmental and health protections. Passage of the Freedom to Vote Act would be a long-overdue step in the right direction.”
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Since our founding during the campaign to pass the landmark Clean Water Act in 1972, Clean Water Action has worked to win strong health and environmental protections by bringing issue expertise, solution-oriented thinking and people power to the table. Learn more at cleanwater.org.
