JANUARY 12, 2022
The Honorable Joseph R. Biden, Jr.
President of the United States
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20500
The Honorable Charles E. Schumer
Senate Majority Leader
United States Senate
Room S-221, U.S. Capitol
Washington, DC 20510
The Honorable Mitch McConnell
Senate Minority Leader
United States Senate
R S-230, U.S. Capitol
Washington, DC 20510
Dear Mr. President, Majority Leader Schumer, Minority Leader McConnell,
We urge you to fight for the immediate passage of voting rights legislation that is critical to the long-term stability of our democratic system and American rule of law: the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act and the Freedom to Vote Act. The provisions in both measures, designed to protect the freedom to vote and to have those votes counted, are overwhelmingly popular and must receive an up-or-down vote in the Senate however that can be accomplished.
As successful business leaders, large employers, and investors, we cannot overstate the peril we see to America’s long-term economic health and the profitability of U.S. businesses if our rule of law erodes. The stability afforded by our democratic system of government and our open economy are the cornerstones of American innovation and our economic dominance around the world. We cannot allow voter suppression efforts or a refusal to certify legitimate federal election results to spark potential economic instability, violence, or other calamities that scholars of business and democracy alike are warning of with increasing alarm.
We do not view this issue as a partisan one. First and foremost, we are all Americans, and protecting our freedom to vote at the federal level is essential. We cannot allow political advantage to be gained by either major party through erecting needless barriers to the franchise, drawing maps that dilute the will of the voters, or to seek partisan advantage over the administration and certification of election results.
Too much is at stake. We call on you and other national leaders, regardless of political party, to reform Senate rules to ensure that vital voting rights legislation can receive a straight up-or-down vote before we lose the window to act.
Sincerely,
Sarah Amico
Chairman, Jack Cooper Holdings
Allen Blue
Co-Founder, LinkedIn
Ron Conway
Founder and Co-Managing Partner, SV Angel
Ryan Gellert
CEO, Patagonia Works and Patagonia, Inc.
Reid Hoffman
Partner, Greylock Partners
Stacey Walker King
Chief Brand Officer, MACRO
Lisa Lewin
CEO, General Assembly
Alexis Ohanian
Co-Founder and Former Executive Chairman, Reddit
Joel Poznansky
Chairman, Columbia Books and Information Services
Geoff Ralston
President, Y Combinator
David Rusenko
Founder, Weebly, Co-Founder, Leap Forward
Josh Silverman
CEO, Etsy
Daniel “Dan” Tierney
Co-Founder, GETCO
Joseph Walla
Co-Founder and CEO, HelloSign
Connie Ballmer
Co-Founder, Ballmer Group
Ursula Burns
Former Chairwoman and CEO, Xerox Corporation and VEON, Ltd.
Eddie Fishman
Managing Director and Member of the Executive Committee, D.E. Shaw & CO., L.P.
Dr. Erika Gonzalez
Co-Chair, Small Business for America
Steve Huffman
CEO, Reddit
Chris Larsen
Executive Chairman, Ripple
Zander Lurie
CEO, Momentive Global Inc.
Charles Phillips
Former President, Oracle, Former CEO and Chairman, Infor
Jeff Raikes
Former President, Microsoft Business Division, Co-Founder, North Forty Companies
Mariel Reed
CEO, CoProcure
Eric Schmidt
Co-Founder, Schmidt Futures
Jeff Skoll
Founder, Skoll Foundation
Olivia von Nieda
CEO, Jova Coffee Company
Daniella Ballou-Aares
Founder and CEO, Leadership Now
Tony Coles, M.D.
Executive Chairman and CEO, Cerevel Therapeutics
Brad Garlinghouse
CEO, Ripple
Prerna Gupta
CEO, Telepathic
Charles D. King
CEO and Founder, MACRO
Jeff Lawson
CEO, Twilio
Neil Malik
Founder and Managing Partner, K1 Investment Management
John Pleasants
CEO, Brava Home
Tricia Raikes
Co-Founder, North Forty Companies
Craig Robinson
Chief Growth Officer, Industrious
Stacy Schusterman
Chair, Samson Energy Company, LLC
Robert F. Smith
Founder, Chairman, and CEO, Vista Equity Partners
Jeffrey C. Walker
Former Co-Founder and CEO, CCMP Capital (successor to JPMorgan Partners)
