Fw: Rep. Rangel: Defend the vote!

Tea Party governors and Republican legislators across the country are racing to steal the 2014 elections. But starting today, MoveOn members are fighting back—by launching the new, national Defend the Vote campaign.  To kick off the campaign, MoveOn members and progressive allies are working to improve and pass the Voting Rights Amendment Act of 2014. That's why Heather McGhee of the organization Demos started a petition to Congress, which says: Congress is taking up a critical new bill to strengthen voting rights. Contact your legislators and tell them to enhance, co-sponsor, and vote YES on the Voting Rights Amendment Act of 2014! Last year, the Supreme Court gutted the landmark Voting Rights Act of 1965—eliminating the protections that millions of people of color, elderly and young voters, and the poor have depended on in states with the worst history of voting rights abuses.1 Since then, Tea Party-controlled legislatures have led an assault on voting by introducing new voter suppression laws, such as limiting poll hours and shortening voter registration periods. But now, there's a chance to stop that. Last month, a new, bipartisan bill—the Voting Rights Amendment Act of 2014—was introduced in Congress to shore up the Voting Rights Act. This bill would fix the provision the Supreme Court struck down last spring. It isn't perfect, but it's the best vehicle we have to modernize and strengthen voter protections nationwide.2 Will you ask Rep. Rangel to strengthen and pass the Voting Rights Amendment Act of 2014? Fighting voter suppression is going to require MoveOn members across the country to work together, which is why we're launching our Defend the Vote campaign today. Passing the Voting Rights Amendment Act is a critical first step in this campaign, and MoveOn members are already working district by district around the country to organize and to pressure their members of Congress to support this critical legislation. Some extreme right-wingers are looking to kill any chances of this bill's even coming up for debate.3 The best way to prevent that is to get as much visible support as possible early on and show that even in a broken Washington, D.C., people's voting rights shouldn't be up for debate.  Will you sign this petition urging Rep. Rangel to support voting rights? Thanks for all you do. –Milan, Heidi, Manny, Maria, and the rest of the team Sources: 1. "Everything That's Happened Since Supreme Court Ruled on Voting Rights Act," ProPublica, November 1, 2013 http://www.moveon.org/r?r=296453&id=89501-10155023-mTk_IBx&t=4 2. "Members of Congress Introduce a New Fix for the Voting Rights Act," The Nation, January 16, 2014 http://www.moveon.org/r?r=296249&id=89501-10155023-mTk_IBx&t=5 3. "GOP's next moral disgrace?: How right-wing crazies may kill a voting rights fix," Salon, January 17, 2014 http://www.moveon.org/r?r=296251&id=89501-10155023-mTk_IBx&t=6 Want to support our work? MoveOn Civic Action is entirely funded by our 8 million members—no corporate contributions, no big checks from CEOs. And our tiny staff ensures that small contributions go a long way. Chip in here.