Veterans and Veteran Supporters,

It’s time that veteran’s that served and sacrificed for America to have a voice in the conversation. Please take a moment to read and sign on to help our voices be heard in the halls of Congress. As veteran’s, regardless of political affiliation we must remember our oath to the constitution and to protect American Democracy and urge the Senate to protect the fundamental right to vote for all Americans.

Please sign on to this open letter:

To: United States Senate

From: Military Veterans and Veteran Supporters 

Subject: Open letter in support of the For the People Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Act

We reach out to you not as Republicans or Democrats, but as group of Veterans who took an oath to the Constitution, an oath to protect American democracy and the rights and freedoms of all Americans. We took this oath without reservation, for love country. We vowed to protect America from all enemies foreign and domestic, the same oath that each of you took to America. Regardless of your political affiliation, this oath came without caveat for race, gender, age, creed, or political affiliation.

The right to vote for all Americans and allowing the American people to have a voice, and to choose their government representatives, is the cornerstone of our democracy. Without this foundation, all other American rights, and freedoms faulter. Indeed, American democracy has been the example for other countries to follow around the world. We have sent elected officials and our military into other countries to ensure free and fair elections and that democracy prevails. Our adversaries in China, Russia and North Korea have spent decades attempting to destabilize our democracy with zero results. Today they are celebrating, watching American democracy faulter at our own hands and see openings to attack us risking our National Security.

As Veterans we call on all Senators to put partisanship aside, to remember their oath to the Constitution and the American people, as well as safeguard our National Security. For all the arguments being made, it boils down to this choice, to choose American democracy or autocracy and dictatorship. To us the choice seems simple, that American democracy must prevail.

John Lewis, who was respected by those in both parties. His personal sacrifice that he made to advance voting rights for all American’s regardless of race has always been honored by both parties. The John Lewis Voting Rights Act is a continuation of his life work and repairs the provisions that the Supreme Court took away in 2013. As you celebrate his life, and honor his life’swork, we call on you to put partisanship aside and vote for this bill as well.

Rep. Lewis left us before the “Big Lie”, before the insurrection, and before this full-on assault on voting rights across this country. We do not need to guess where he would stand. He would be a fierce supporter of voting rights for Republicans and Democrats alike. He would stand for our democratic principles and values.

This moment of American destabilization is being recorded for history. When America called on each of you to decide if you will remember your oath, if you will defend American democracy, where will you stand? How will history remember you?

Our hope, and expectation is that all 100 Senators would value their oath to the Constitution, and value the foundation of American democracy enough to lay partisanship aside. If not,we ask the Senate majority this question, isn’t American democracy more important than judges, cabinet appointees or budgets? We ask that any bill that deals with voting rights and American democracy be exempt from the filibuster, or cloture rules.

We are veterans, we have fought in foreign lands to protect America, we have protected democracy in other countries. When we took our oaths, none of us imagined that we would need to fight for American democracy, but our oath, was to protect America against “foreign and domestic enemies” and our oath does not expire. We ask you to join us, in remembering your oaths and protect American democracy and our rights and freedoms by passing the For the People Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Act without delay.

Respectfully,

Military Veterans