Yesterday, the deceptively named “For the People Act” failed to get the votes necessary to advance in the United States Senate.

S.1 would dramatically alter the First Amendment protections that Americans have enjoyed since the founding of our country. It would institute sweeping new burdens on their constitutionally protected rights to freely speak, publish, and organize into groups to advocate for the causes they support.

Our elections will not be more honest, more informed, or more secure if we sacrifice the privacy of American citizens. But our democracy will be weakened if voices are eliminated from public debate through intimidation and overregulation.

People United for Privacy applauds the Senators who voted to stop S.1, and we will continue to fight for the First Amendment rights of all Americans regardless of their beliefs.