Tell Congress: Make remote voting possible and keep the legislative branch functioning
Petition to Congress:
It is urgent to adopt rules facilitating remote lawmaking for the House and the Senate during this coronavirus pandemic. We urge you to co-sponsor a resolution allowing the legislative branch to meet, deliberate, and pass laws without having to convene in person.
Donald Trump has already done enough damage to the country with his mishandling of the coronavirus. But just imagine how much worse it could get if Congress can't meet.
Right now several members of Congress have the coronavirus and many more are in self-quarantine. So long as Congress can't convene in person due to the threat of disease, they need to be able to vote remotely in order to do important business, including stopping Trump's abuses of power or passing an economic stimulus.
So long as Congress can't vote remotely, they are giving Trump even more power than he already has. That's why it's essential the House and Senate adopt rules right now that would allow them to vote remotely. Can you help put pressure on Congress to act?
Sign the petition: Tell Congress to pass bills to make remote voting possible and keep the legislative branch functioning!
Right now, House and Senate rules require members to convene in person to vote. It's a system we inherited from the 1700s that is failing during the coronavirus pandemic -- even as we have 2020s technology that could solve this in an instant. Even the Supreme Court is hearing oral arguments remotely.
The Constitution gives the House and Senate the power to determine the rules of their own proceedings, and federal courts defer to that power.1
Without new procedures in place, the country is left without a functioning legislative branch -- just Donald Trump and his out-of-control executive orders.
Unfortunately, one of the biggest obstacles we face is convincing Congressional leaders of the urgency to make remote voting possible. That's where you come in. We are mobilizing to pressure Congress to act. Will you help?
Add your name: Tell Congress to support remote voting and keep the legislative branch functioning!
Sources:
1. New York Times, "What Happens if Congress Cannot Assemble to Do Its Work?," April 3, 2020.