STAND UP AMERICA APPLAUDS DEMOCRACY DEFENDERS FOR REINTRODUCING THE PROTECTING OUR DEMOCRACY ACT
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
JULY 27, 2023
PRESS CONTACT:
Tracy Adair, [email protected]
Reintroduction comes on the heels of concerning reports that Trump plans to further abuse presidential power if reelected
WASHINGTON— Today, Representatives Adam Schiff (D-CA), Brendan Boyle (D-PA), Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), Jim Himes (D-CT), Rick Larsen (D-WA), Joe Morelle (D-NY), Jerry Nadler (D-NY), and Jamie Raskin (D-MD) reintroduced the Protecting Our Democracy Act (PODA), legislation to prevent presidential abuses of power, strengthen accountability and safeguard our elections from foreign influence. The legislation currently has over 100 cosponsors in the House. In 2021, the Democratic-led House of Representatives passed PODA, but the bill stalled in the Senate.
Stand Up America Founder & President Sean Eldridge commented on the bill’s reintroduction:
“Under the previous administration, the American people witnessed unprecedented abuses of power by a sitting president. To protect our democracy and restore critical checks and balances, Congress must act.
“The Protecting Our Democracy Act is about ensuring that no president—regardless of their political party—is above the law. It reasserts Congress’ power to enforce subpoenas, prevents presidents from pardoning themselves, protects civil servants, and insulates federal whistleblowers from political retribution.
“The urgent need to pass this legislation cannot be overstated. Trump and his advisors are plotting ways to further undermine checks and balances and expand presidential power if he is elected, which should alarm Americans of all political stripes. In fact, many of the reforms in the Protecting Our Democracy Act have long-enjoyed bipartisan support. Strengthening the guardrails of our democracy is common sense, and lawmakers should not squander the window of opportunity they have right now to act and prevent future presidents of any party from abusing presidential power.”
During the last Congress, Stand Up America’s nearly 2 million members across the country drove nearly 20,000 constituent calls and emails urging their members of Congress to support the Protecting Our Democracy Act.A 2022 poll co-sponsored by Stand Up America found that 84% percent of voters agree that passing legislation to prevent presidential abuse of power is important, including overwhelming majorities of Democrats (88%) and Republicans (81%).
###
About Stand Up America
Stand Up America is a progressive advocacy organization with nearly two million community members across the country. Focused on grassroots advocacy to stand up to corruption and voter suppression and build a more representative democracy, Stand Up America has driven over 1.7 million calls to lawmakers, registered over 100,000 voters, mobilized thousands of protestors, and contacted tens of millions of voters.
Website: StandUpAmerica.com
Twitter: @StandUpAmerica
Instagram: @StandUp_America
Facebook: @StandUpAmerica