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The future of our republic is being decided, and by a quirk of history, a once obscure senatorial procedure is at the center of it.
Systematic obstruction threatens the freedoms of every American, regardless of your skin color, gender, zip code, political party, or how much money you have (or don’t have) in the bank. Systematic obstruction doesn’t just mean that a minority of senators can block critical legislation on everything from voting rights to minimum wages. Systematic obstruction undermines the basic principle that makes our democracy work: government of the people, by the people, for the people.
Many arguments have been put forward in defense of filibuster. That it was established by the Founding Fathers (false). That it favors bipartisanship (history shows the opposite). That without it we could become a parliamentary government (nonsense). Others have argued that filibuster is a necessary safety net which, while it prevents us from passing good legislation now, will resent us when the other side tries to pass bad legislation later. .
Voters are supposed to be responsible
But the people voted. They chose their representatives. We cannot sit idly by and do nothing during critical national emergencies. It is true that maybe the other party will take power, and maybe it will pass a law that I think would be bad for middle class families across our country. But that’s how a democracy works.
As President Franklin D. Roosevelt said, government is ourselves, not some foreign power over us. The ultimate leaders of our democracy are not a president, senators, congressmen and government officials, but the voters of this country.
Our Constitution trusts the American people. Me too. Democracy is an act of faith. America was a bold gamble, what former President Barack Obama called the boldness of hope; the conviction that we, the peoples, can build a better future together.
Representative Val Demings, D-Fla., At a White House Pride Month event in Washington, DC on June 25, 2021.
My parents, a maid and a janitor, worked hard seven days a week, but in all my life I can’t remember a time when they didn’t vote because they knew the power of our democracy to give voice to the voiceless.
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But when we allow a political faction to block critical legislation, it takes that voice away from voters. Regardless of your political party, know that when you win a free and fair election, your representatives can govern.
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Alexander Hamilton wrote that in government there is usually a need to act. Public affairs must somehow move forward. When the minority is given the control of the majority, tedious and poisonous delays result; ongoing negotiations and intrigues; contemptible compromises of the public good.
We have seen too many tedious delays. And these despicable compromises of the public good define the history of obstruction. It’s no secret that the primary use of obstruction over the past century has been to block efforts to make this country freer and fairer for all of its citizens.
We need more democracy, not less
The anti-lynching legislation introduced in 1918 was, as the NAACP said, lynched by a filibuster despite thousands of racist killings happening across the country. There is still no federal anti-lynching law over 100 years later. Opponents of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 blocked a vote for 60 days.
Today we face similar threats. Voting rights are under attack. Authoritarian impulses threaten the Constitution and the freedoms generations of Americans have died to protect. Earlier this year, we witnessed a violent insurgency that attempted to overthrow free and fair elections. I fear that if we do not act to strengthen American democracy, we will also see future violence.
Save Democracy: Senators have vowed to support America, not filibuster. Kill him to save the January 6 commission.
Our challenges are great. But our ability to meet these challenges is just as great. The solution to all of our problems is more democracy, not less. More voting rights, more support for working families, more freedom and justice for all. Empower people. Allow their representatives to work on their behalf. Confidence in the government of the people, by the people, for the people. When we embrace our heritage and our potential as free people, we can accomplish anything and we must do it with the majority. In the Senate, that makes 51 votes.
Representative Val Demings, D-Florida, is a Senate candidate and former Orlando Police Chief. Follow her on Twitter: @RepValDemings
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Filing blocks increase in minimum wage and the right to vote for all Americans
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