In 1965, Congress passed the seminal Voting Rights Act (VRA) to end the systematic disenfranchisement of Black voters across the country, but in 2013, a conservative majority on the Supreme Court permitted states to return to those racist, discriminatory practices by gutting it. Now, in 2020, as we face a national crisis and chaotic elections, that decision is preventing countless voters—especially those of color—from casting their ballots.

If Republicans believe we can afford $8 billion for defense contractors and nearly $2 billion to remodel the FBI headquarters, then we can certainly afford $3.6 billion in federal funding for safe, secure elections and a deadline extension for the Census Bureau to ensure communities of color aren’t erased on the census.

Earlier today, Stand Up America Founder and President Sean Eldridge joined Fair Fight Action Founder Stacey Abrams and Indivisible Co-Founder and Co-Executive Director Leah Greenberg in demanding that election funding be a non-negotiable part of the final coronavirus relief package. As Congress continues negotiating this week, the leaders of the progressive organizations and voting rights groups demanded that Republicans work with Democrats in both chambers to allocate more federal funds for states to implement safe, fair, and accessible elections this fall.