WASHINGTON — American voters chose their representatives to the 116th Congress in the midterm elections on Tuesday, which resulted in a Democratic-majority House of Representatives and a Republican-majority Senate.
As the new Congress is gaveled in, the American Civil Liberties Union will engage lawmakers to protect and expand the civil liberties and civil rights of their constituents: the right to a just immigration and criminal system free from abuse and discrimination; the right to vote; the right to a harassment-free workplace; and the right to fully-lived equality for LGBTQ and people of all identities. More information on the ACLU’s 116th Congressional agenda and the type of issues the organization will score is here: https://www.aclu.org/fact-sheet/aclu-civil-rights-and-civil-liberties-116th-congress-agenda.
Faiz Shakir, national political director of the ACLU, had the following response:
“American voters made their voices heard Tuesday night and one thing came across clearly: when voters are asked directly to vote on Trump’s unconstitutional and discriminatory agenda, they side with civil rights and civil liberties.
“In the months to come, the ACLU will be pushing for a robust agenda to include expanding voting rights, passing sentencing reform, moving quickly on the Equality Act, and protecting Dreamers, among others. We will hold this Congress accountable to their constituents, to the rights and protections guaranteed in our constitution, and to the principles that drove them to the polls in this election.
“But before the 116th Congress is seated, the 115th must demonstrate that it heard the people last night. There is still a budget resolution to pass, and elected representatives should make absolutely clear that it will not include any additional funding for a border wall, and that there will be real accountability if that budget is used for Trump’s anti-immigration wishlist.”
