WASHINGTON – Today, Rep. Raúl M. Grijalva (AZ-03) voted to pass H.R. 5314, the Protecting our Democracy Act, a sweeping package of reforms to prevent presidential abuses and restore the Constitutional system of checks and balances following the turbulence and autocratic nature of the Trump presidency. The Protecting Our Democracy will take immediate steps to ensure that no president – regardless of party – can use the power of the presidency to undermine our democracy.
“The failed autocratic Trump presidency and January 6th insurrection must be a wakeup call for our nation. From shady foreign profiteering to an outright coup attempt, the actions of President Trump exposed deep vulnerabilities in our democracy. The Protecting Our Democracy Act combined with the transformative voting and civil rights protection legislation introduced by Democrats will protect our democratic processes against foreign and domestic threats.
While we vote to pass this important legislation to protect our democracy and increase accountability on the power of the presidency, we must address our current political reality. Despite Democrats maintaining control of the Legislative and Executive Branches of government, certain Senators, including from my home state, need to summon the political courage to enact reform to pass this bill and others that would protect the integrity of our democracy so they can be signed into law. Unless this legislation passes the Senate, we run the risk of seeing more capable and corrupt politicians utilize the mechanisms of our government for personal gain and inflict permanent damage to the foundations of our democracy. ”
Paired with the John Lewis Voting Rights Act and the Freedom to Vote Act this legislation is the third bill in Democrats’ efforts to reform democratic governance and restore integrity to our democratic system.
In a new report published by the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance, the U.S. was found to be a backsliding democracy falling victim to authoritarian tendencies in recent years. H.R. 5314 seeks to resolve serious vulnerabilities in our democratic systems by preventing presidential abuses, restoring our systems of checks and balances, strengthening accountability and transparency, and protecting our elections. More information on the Protecting Our Democracy Act can be found here