As Senate Republicans Block Debate on Voting Rights, King Urges Action to Defend Democracy

Press Release

Today, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) expressed his disappointment and sadness after every single GOP Senator voted against opening debate on the Freedom to Vote Act. The legislation, cosponsored by Senator King, would improve access to the ballot for all Americans and advance common-sense election integrity reform, taking feedback from election officials across the nation into account to strengthen its provisions while ensuring local control of elections. In his statement, Senator King emphasizes the importance of proactively defending American democracy and commits to continuing to push for solutions that defend voter access for Americans of all backgrounds. Today's vote comes one day after Senator King delivered an impassioned speech on the Senate floor urging action, stating that we are currently "at a hinge of history."

"American democracy is a fragile anomaly in the tapestry of history, which has been largely defined by monarchs, autocrats, and recently, presidents-for-life," said Senator King. "Our rare, delicate experiment is not guaranteed; it relies on each successive generation of Americans working to preserve and defend the flame of democracy. The system cannot run on autopilot, particularly as we navigate difficult terrain.

"We are in the midst of a pivotal moment of American history, as our democracy is faced with dual crises: diminishing faith in our electoral process, and a political party that exploits and encourages these sentiments for short-term political gain. These phenomena threaten to undermine the very idea of America -- but it doesn't have to be this way. The Constitution grants Congress the explicit power to confront these challenges and serve as a backstop against threats and to maintain democratic norms. We must rise to this moment by enacting a set of basic protections to ensure that all Americans can vote. This is not a federal takeover of elections; it simply sets a floor so no state can enact restrictive laws that serve only to disenfranchise voters.

"We have a responsibility to meet these challenges head on, and carry forward the legacy that has been entrusted to us. Unfortunately, my GOP colleagues have refused to come to the table -- and today every single one refused to even have open debate on this important legislation to defend voter access and strengthen our democratic system. I want to negotiate a bill, with my colleagues from both parties, that will defend the American experiment for to the next generation. I want a compromise, first and foremost. But absent that, I am open to protecting our democratic system of government through structural reforms that ensure that we protect ballot access for all of our citizens. Our elections are the backbone of America's democracy -- and that democracy is more important than any Senate rule."

Senator King is committed to increase voter trust and promote access to the ballot for all registered voters. Along with introducing the Freedom to Vote Act, he co-sponsored S.1, the For the People Act, and Senator Jon Ossoff's (D-Ga.) Right to Vote Act, which would establish a first-ever statutory right to vote in federal elections -- protecting U.S. citizens from laws that make it harder to cast a ballot. He has also reintroduced the Real Time Transparency Act, which would require that all political contributions of $1,000 or more be filed with the Federal Election Commission (FEC) within 48 hours, and again cosponsored the Sunlight for Unaccountable Non-Profits (SUN) Act, which would require the IRS to publish the names of any donors who give more than $5,000 to tax-exempt political organizations. In February, Senator King cosponsored the Spotlight Act, which aims to identify the dark money political donors that seek to influence political debate anonymously.

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