Our new and revised “Roe and Reform” list has just been published. A new, cleaner format. Details on where all 50 Democratic senators currently stand on passing a Roe law and committing to suspending the filibuster rules to guarantee an up or down vote. I’ll be honest. This isn’t moving fast enough. It’s frustrating. If Democrats can line up commitments to pass a Roe law in January 2023 if they hold the House and add two additional senators, their chances of holding Congress will increase substantially. I really think it’s likely the make-or-break thing. But Democrats across the country need to pressure their senators to get on board, make the clear and public commitment. The problem is that senators living in Senateworld have their own instinctive resistance to committing, even to things they support. When you live in Senateworld, the importance of these kinds of things can be lost on you. The tens of millions of people who are devastated, angry, outraged, afraid don’t necessarily focus on the admittedly kind of obscure issue of legislative vote counts and how they interact with election messages in a topsy turvy midterm. But there’s this big, big opportunity that just requires getting all the wires connected so the machine can really move. That’s why this list is so important. It’s a guide that can help ordinary voters actually put Roe on the ballot in November, not just as a vague slogan but for real.
Do voters in Virginia know that their senior senator, Mark Warner, is one of two possible holdouts who could scuttle this? Virginia is a blue-trending, pro-abortion rights free state. Their senator might be the hold up? How can that be? Or what about Angus King of Maine, an independent who caucuses with the Democrats. He has this strong belief that any changes to the filibuster could endanger Democrats when they are in the minority. He’s wrong. Do Mainers know that he might be the hold up?
Take New Jersey, another pro-abortion rights free state. Corey Booker is a very likely supporter who supports Roe and also says he supports filibuster reform. But he hasn’t yet committed to simply combining the two together. New Jersey! Corey Booker? If you asked him he might tell you yeah, of course I’d be there. But it’s the public commitment now that makes all the difference. Who’s going to get him to yes? Then there’s New Jersey’s senior senator, Robert Menendez. He has yet to even comment on it. New Jersey! WTF?
The list goes on and on. In fact, it’s right here. And there’s only 50 of them. So it doesn’t go on longer than 50 — though we’re going to add candidates too. But it’s important and it’s in your hands.
