'Our Democracy Is Sick': Progressive Groups Join Forces to Ensure Voting Rights and End Corporate Sabotage of Common Good

Increasingly alarmed by powerful corporate and wealthy interests that have pushed the U.S. political system toward "impending constitutional catastrophe," nearly 100 national organizations on Tuesday announced that they are coming together for a campaign that aims to take back the country's democratic institutions by fighting for "the structural changes necessary to rebalance power for people."

"Our democracy is sick, and it's not an accident."
--Ezra Levin, Indivisible

"Today our system is in crisis," warns the Declaration for American Democracy's mission statement (pdf). "Together we must build a democracy where everyone participates, every vote is counted, voting rights are fully enforced, and everyone's voice is heard."

The coalition--which includes groups focused on the environment, reproductive rights, labor conditions, election security, criminal justice reform, and a host of other issues--vows to "work collectively to create and pass a series of fundamental reforms to rebalance our moneyed political system, empower everyday Americans, ensure equal justice for all, protect the public's right to know, reduce barriers to participation in our elections, vigorously enforce voting laws, and fix our ethics laws."

Their campaign officially begins on Nov. 7, the day after the upcoming midterm elections. Members include the Brennan Center for Justice, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW), CODEPINK, Common Cause, Credo Action, Demand Progress, Demos, Greenpeace, Indivisible, Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy, MoveOn.org, the NAACP, NARAL Pro-Choice America, People's Action, Planned Parenthood, Public Citizen, SEIU, Sierra Club, the Working Families Party, and dozens of other organizations.

"Our democracy is sick, and it's not an accident. This is the result of a decades-long campaign to disenfranchise communities of color and reduce government's responsiveness to the will of the people," said Ezra Levin, co-executive director of Indivisible. "Opponents of democracy in America engage in acts of sabotage in order to entrench their own power and reward their donors. But that is about to change. America is ready for a bold vision for 21st century democracy."

"The stakes for our civil and human rights are too high for inaction," declared Vanita Gupta, president and CEO of the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, another coalition member. "Voter suppression and intimidation, efforts to undermine a fair and accurate census, and corruption scandals are just a few reasons why we must advance an affirmative vision to build an America as good as its ideals."

That vision includes protecting reproductive rights and access to healthcare, charged NARAL president Ilyse Hogue. "We deserve to live in a country where women, not out-of-touch politicians fueled by ideological and politically motivated interest groups, have the freedom to make the most personal decisions about if, when and how to grow their families," she said. "It's time that our democracy was fueled by elected officials willing to fight for our values, our futures and our votes."

"We deserve a republic that truly serves the people rather than the private interests of public officials and wealthy political donors."
--Lisa Gilbert, Public Citizen

It also includes taking rapid actions to address the climate crisis and safeguard environmental protections. As Sierra Club executive director Michael Brune pointed out, "corporate polluters have been flooding our political system with big money for too long, spending unprecedented millions to try to keep people from voting while propping up politicians who push their dirty agenda rather than the things the American people care about most, like clean air and water, safe communities and family-sustaining jobs."

As the anti-choice movement, the fossil fuel industry, and other corporate powers have poured money into political lobbying to bolster policies that endanger public health and undermine U.S. democracy, the Trump administration's "catastrophic ethical failings have exposed the gaps in our system of ethics laws," noted CREW executive director Noah Bookbinder.

"Only by winning foundational reforms to our politics, can we hope to move forward the substantive policies that are so important to the American people--from protecting our environment, to fighting for consumers and working families, to improving our health care and lowering prescription drug prices and more," concluded Lisa Gilbert, vice president of legislative affairs for Public Citizen. "We deserve a republic that truly serves the people rather than the private interests of public officials and wealthy political donors."