On June 22, Senate Republicans used the filibuster to stop the For the People Act from advancing. This legislation was designed to protect voting rights nationwide and end partisan gerrymandering, and it’s yet another bill that Minority Leader Mitch McConell blocked via the filibuster.

Right now, Senate Democrats have the votes to reform the filibuster and pass critical legislation that will protect our right to vote — but the question is, do they have the courage?

The legislative filibuster’s arbitrary 60-vote requirement is not actually written into our Constitution. It is a relic of the Jim Crow era that has stopped even the most common-sense, bipartisan agreements from becoming law. Historically, it’s been instrumental in blocking popular legislation on civil rights, immigration reform, and climate action.

Senate Democrats actually have the power to change and even end the filibuster. In 2017, Mitch McConnell amended the filibuster so he could pack the Supreme Court — allowing Trump to appoint three extreme justices during his term. So, if the GOP did it then, we can do it now.

Our democracy needs transformative change to protect against the influence of special interests and stop voter suppression tactics that target Black and brown voters. The For the People Act and John Lewis Voting Rights Act make those changes, and will help ensure fair and equal ballot access nationwide.

Call your senators to end the filibuster so we can strengthen our democracy and ensure our government responds to the needs of the people.