Once again, we’ve seen a lack of political courage from the Republicans in Congress who failed to do their duty to convict a former president of inciting an insurrection.Our democracy is still at great risk, even in a post-Trump world.

The most important thing Congress can do right now is to pass the For the People Act in the Senate.(It has already passed in the House). This bill expands voting rights, including making mail-in voting easier in all states. It prohibits partisan gerrymandering. It stems the flow of money into elections by requiring that dark money sources disclose their identity. It requires that all government officials abide by ethics rules – including the President. It requires the President to disclose and divest himself/herself of all financial interests that pose a conflict of interest. Both Senators Hickenlooper and Bennet are supporters of this bill. 

Passage of this bill will almost certainly require elimination of the filibuster, which is an antiquated requirement for 60% of the Senate before passage of non-budget related bills. Senators Bennet and Hickenlooper should advocate to remove the filibuster right away. The myth that the filibuster promotes thoughtful debate and compromise is a sham, as evidenced by watching so many good bills die without discussion in the Senate. Despite the fact the Democrats have been voted into the majority, Mitch McConnell still has the power to obstruct progress on almost everything, including passage of the For the People Act, until we end the filibuster.