League Joins Groups Urging Presidential Candidates to Prioritize Democracy Reform Agenda

On May 15, the League joined over 100 organizations on letters to all announced presidential candidates urging them to implement a democracy reform plan.  The letters were sent by members of the Declaration for American Democracy coalition as well as voting rights, good government, civil rights, faith, environmental, labor, and grassroots organizations. The list of candidates receiving letters and a copy of the letter is below. All letters can be found on the Declaration for American Democracy's web page.

May 15, 2019

The Honorable Michael Bennett
Bennet for America
PO Box 44494
Denver, Colorado 80202

Dear Senator Bennet,

Congratulations on your decision to run for president. Americans deserve a robust debate about our country’s future and who has a voice in shaping it. We write to you as members of the Declaration for American Democracy coalition as well as voting rights, good government, civil rights, faith, environmental, labor, and grassroots organizations representing millions of Americans committed to protecting and expanding the right to vote, ending the dominance of big money in politics, and restoring ethics and accountability to Washington.

We applaud your sponsorship of the For the People Act, and your choice to reject corporate PAC money for your campaign. Your personal decision to lead by example on these issues is an important first step in rebuilding the public’s faith in our political system. Now we look forward to seeing your comprehensive plan to address the structural inequities that have denied too many people access to the ballot and silenced too many voices, while giving those with wealth and access undue influence in Washington. Our democratic institutions are under attack, and need renewal and repair.

We strongly encourage you to incorporate into your campaign platform the principles of the attached democracy reform agenda developed by the Declaration for American Democracy coalition. This agenda is reflected in the historic passage in the For the People Act, introduced as H.R. 1—the first bill of the new House Democratic majority—to signify its priority. It passed the House in March with the support of all Democratic House members. Its companion, S. 949, was recently introduced by Senators Tom Udall (D-NM) and Jeff Merkley (D-OR) and was cosponsored by every Democratic Senator. We encourage you to treat the policies included in these bills, and listed in the document below, as the foundation for your own democracy platform and that you explore additional new aspirational reform measures to revitalize our democracy.

In addition to proposing a specific, bold platform to combat corruption and strengthen and expand our democracy, we want to know how you’ll champion these reforms on the campaign trail. We’d like to hear how you’ll make your democracy revitalization plan a central part of your campaign and build support for these policies. If elected, this platform’s enactment must be your first priority in 2021.

Americans are looking for leaders who will take on our broken, entrenched campaign finance system, and who are committed to guaranteeing the absolute right of all eligible Americans access to the ballot. Your leadership and commitment to action on these issues will show voters across the country that, like them, you believe our democracy works best when it represents everyone, not just those able to unduly influence policies based solely on their power and their wealth.

We would like to meet with you to discuss the reform agenda and your plans to prioritize these pressing issues as soon as possible. We will reach out to you to schedule a meeting shortly.
Sincerely,
20/20 Vision
African American Ministers In Action
Alaska Public Interest Research Group (AkPIRG)
American Promise
Bend the Arc Jewish Action
Blue Future
Brave New Films
Call For Peace
Campaign for Accountability
Campaign for America's Future
Center for American Progress
Center for Media and Democracy
Center for Popular Democracy
Center for Science and Democracy at the Union of Concerned Scientists
Clean Elections Texas
Clean Water Action
Coalition to Preserve, Protect and Defend
Coalition to Restore Democracy
Codepink
Color of Change
Common Cause
Common Defense
Communications Workers of America
Congregation of Our Lady of the Good Shepherd, US Provinces
Corporate Accountability
Courage Campaign
Daily Kos
Demand Progress Education Fund
Democracy 21
Democracy for America
Democracy Initiative
Democracy Matters
Democracy Spring
Disciples Center for Public Witness
Disciples Justice Action Network
End Citizens United Action Fund
Endangered Species Coalition
Equal Citizens
Food & Water Action
Franciscan Action Network
Friends of the Earth Action
Generation Progress
Get Money Out - Maryland
Global Witness
Greenpeace USA
Herd on the Hill
Hip Hop Caucus
Indivisible
Indivisible Kansas City
Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy
International Corporate Accountability Roundtable
Iowa County Grassroots Citizens for Peace and Justice
Just Foreign Policy
League of Conservation Voters
League of Women Voters of the United States
LeftAction
Main Street Alliance
MapLight
MAYDAY America
MomsRising
MoveOn
MOVI, Money Out Voters In
NAACP
National Advocacy Center of the Sisters of the Good Shepherd
National Association of Social Workers
National Bar Association
National Council of Jewish Women
National LGBTQ Task Force Action Fund
National Priorities Project at the Institute for Policy Studies
NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice
New American Leaders
New Mexicans for Money Out of Politics
North American Climate, Conservation and Environment (NACCE)
Occupy Bergen County (New Jersey)
Open Democracy
Patriotic Millionaires
Pay 2 Play
Peace Action
People Demanding Action
People For the American Way
People's Action
Progressive Turnout Project
Project: Outreach-Frac Sand Sentinel
Protect Democracy
Public Citizen
Reclaim Our Democracy
Revolving Door Project
RootsAction Education Fund
Small Planet Institute
Southern Poverty Law Center
Stamp Stampede
Stand Up America
Take On Wall Street
The All On The Line Campaign
Tikkun/Network of Spiritual Progressives
Truman National Security Project
Unitarian Universalists for Social Justice
United Church of Christ, Justice and Witness Ministries
United for Democracy Now
United To Amend
UnKoch My Campus
Voices for Progress
Voter Rights Action
Win Without War
Wisconsin Democracy Campaign
Wisconsin Grassroots Network
Women Donors Network Action (WDN Action)
Working Families Party