Recently, a haunting image made its way around the Internet and shocked the world: thanks to an underwater pipeline that had burst, the Gulf of Mexico was actually on fire.

This devastating event was a reminder to all of us that if our democracy can’t respond to the climate crisis -- we are sure to face horrific consequences.

Nearly two-thirds of Americans agree with scientists that protecting the environment should be a top priority for the president and Congress. [1] And yet year after year, our elected officials fail to pass dozens of popular, common-sense reforms to combat the climate crisis.

Why? Because those who prefer the status quo -- those who are willing to endanger our planet to protect their profits -- have an outsize say in our political process.

That’s right: voter suppression tactics, campaign finance loopholes, and weak ethics laws ensure that politicians and their polluting corporate backers get to make the rules, not the American people. We all pay the price for that -- but especially communities of color, which not only are the primary target for anti-voter laws, but also face a disproportionate burden from the climate crisis.

That’s not how our democracy should work. We’re calling on the Senate to pass the For the People Act -- a bill that’d strengthen disclosure laws so we know which candidates rely on fossil fuel money, make it possible to run for office without selling out to polluters, and give those communities targeted by environmental racism a meaningful voice in politics.

But Mitch McConnell and his GOP allies have mounted a partisan blockade against the For the People Act, filibustering the bill in June. In this high-stakes moment, we must urge the Senate to abolish the filibuster -- and protect our planet by passing the For the People Act.

1) https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2020/04/21/how-americans-see-climate-change-and-the-environment-in-7-charts/