Satellite provider. Week, in cause and represent us help held with the called a rally to and partisan gerrymandering. Heard about whether wisconsins redistricting was gerrymandering. This is one hour 20 minutes. Good morning and thank you for coming out to our rally. For commonnager cause maryland. I am not sure how many of you are familiar with common cause but we are a nonartisan Grassroots Organization dedicated to upholding the core values of our american democracy. We have over 36 chapters and over one million members. Common cause is one of three groups that is hosting todays event. Join me in giving a round of American Progress. And a special thank you to the tooks who take different actions like supporting the movement and a number of different ways and thank you to the volunteers who came out early and are helping out today. Todays rally is personal. I work with common cause maryland and maryland is one of the two most gerrymandered states in the country. It is the worst in the nation for how we draw our congressional and district lines and we cannot rely on our elected officials to fix the system. It is time for the Supreme Court to create ground rules that preserves our right to vote vote is sure the counted. We will be joined by a number of speakers who are going to highlight the importance of todays events on the work their organizations have been doing in support of the movement and rally. I want to make sure that if anyone is tweeting are posting to use our been to join us as we chant. Join me in welcoming our first speaker, our president for Common Cause National chapter. Nice to be with all of you and i am proud to stand here with many of our allies who are joined together to fight back against harnessing partisan gerrymandering. Where pleased to join the Campaign Legal center and center to lead an amicus briefs that will be argued in the Supreme Court this morning. It wrought together state attorneys general, city attorneys, current and former members of congress, elected officials to and state legislatures across the country from both parties as well as citizen organizations to talk about the manipulation of our election for partisan advantage and the negative impact that has on our democracy. Every eligible american wants to have a voice and know that their vote counts in determining who is elected. Passedpolicies that are i congress and state legislatures that determine the future of our families and communities, politicians who manipulate the voting maps are lacing their partys power above the people. They sow the seeds of cynicism and cause too Many Americans to tune out about politics. It is because it escalates polarization that rewards political dysfunction and emboldens the extremes on sides of the aisle. It provides little to no incentive for the public to engage. We are here today to show the that the public does care about these issues. It may seem like wonky election issues but it has an impact on peoples lives. Voters recognize that highly gerrymandered legislatures are moving more extreme agendas by polarization and the consequences of gerrymandering. We have worked with by polarizal Education Association and the league of women voters in wisconsin to show that partisan gerrymandering results in the adoption of policies that are more partisan and extreme than residents in wisconsin. In wisconsin there is a historic pride in clean government and several years ago, wisconsinites put in place an independent Government Accountability board. This board was set to oversee and enforce compliance with ethics, Campaign Finance, and election laws. The gerrymandered legislature dismantled the independent Government Accountability board. Why did they do that . They did it because they wanted a weaker partisan agency in control because they did not want anybody to be investigating their actions. There was an investigation that the Government Accountability place with special place with special interest money and they do not want accountability and they do not want enforcement of clean government rules. Saw saw funding in k12 and public universities being important to wisconsin citizens, hitch proportions support that and what did the highly partisan legislature do . They cut funding for those programs. We also see strong bipartisan support for conservation and environmental reform and what did the highly partisan gerrymandered legislature do question mark they cut those programs. In North Carolina, another state huge party gerrymandering in place, we saw the legislature banned huge partytransgender bathroom. More than 80 of the population supported having transgender hot athens but they did not move and then when we saw the ncaa, concert venues and businesses saying we are not going to North Carolina, businesses suffered and the state lost millions. Did the legislature act . No. Why . They do not care what the people think. We saw North Carolina put in place a power grab in terms of a putible voting measure that discriminatory laws on the book including cutting early voting, discriminatory voter id in order put to ensure their partisan advantage. The need for districts is not just a problem in red states, we heard from joanne, this is a problem in blue states like maryland. That is why we have a bipartisan set of legislators, Arnold Schwarzenegger, u. S. Senator john mccain, Ohio Governor john kasich, joining governments like Sheldon Whitehouse and Tammy Baldwin to support and and partisan gerrymandering. The American People understand how politicians in both parties are stacking the deck against people. As a result, we are seeing an unprecedented groundswell of partisanor the end to gerrymandering. Are seeing reforms in states and seeing people gathering at events like this. In North Carolina today, leaders from common are seeing reforms s and seeing people gathering cah carolina hbcu Student Alliance are marching through the largest bhbcu. Their marching on a street that literally divides the campus into. On the left is the 13th Congressional District and on the right is the sixth Congressional District. Why was that put in place . It is 10,000 black students and that is the powerful voting block. They divided them on the center and so we have the impact of this cannot just be about policy but also directly affect an of blackn the rights and africanamerican students in North Carolina. This Agreement Court and gerrymandering as we know it in the whitford case. Although the cases before the Supreme Court and dealing with redistricting,ve if the Court Affirms the Lower Court Ruling in wisconsin, it will be establishing the principle that partisan politicians and special interests can no longer break the system byrig manipulating voting maps. The action from the Supreme Court could reduce costly litigation and said it clear standard that makes it clear to state legislatures as they are drawing maps my here is the line you cannot cross. In america, no liberty is more fundamental than the right to freely choose our representatives through voting. When politicians manipulate the rules and choose their voters instead, it leaves leads to dysfunction and legislative bodies that do not care about their constituents. It is time to end this practice. Thank you very much. [applause] where going we are going to into a few other chants. Gerrymandering has to go. Gerrymandering, has to go. We are tired of your tampering. Stop your gerrymandering. Please join me in welcoming our next speaker. From the representative new yorks third Congressional District. [crowd chanting] the partisan divide in our country today is mainly caused by partisan gerrymandering. Everyone is sick of politics and politicians and sick of the fingerpointing and sick of people not getting things done. Why is it happening . In the house of representatives 400e are 435 seeds of which seats of which 400 are saved seeds which guaranteed if you are a republican you will win reelection in a republican seat. If you are in a democratic seat, guaranteed we you will win reelection in the democratic seat to you cannot lose the general election. The only way you can lose is if you lose the primary. Very few people vote in the primary. Vote inn 10 of people the primary. They are often to the more extremes of the party. Far right. T and the if you are a congressperson who cannot lose the general election and you want to keep one wing of your party have the, you will try and please that wing of your party, the democrats tried to please the left and republicans tried to please the right. If you do anything in the middle you will get squashed by a bug and lose the primary. All these safety seats result in politicians not pandering to the people, not pandering to the general public, they pander to the base of the party. We must get rid of partisan gerrymandering in america. To force elected officials to be subject to the only thing that makes democracy work my competition. People battling over ideas. I have a better idea than you do. I have a better way of doing it more effectively, cheaper, helping more people. I have a better way of doing it. That competition only happens in competitive seats. In our country today, we do not have competitive seats. The reason we do not is because of partisan gerrymandering. This lawsuit today, this case being argued before the Supreme Court today, if the Supreme Court decides as we hope they gerrymanderingan is illegal, it will change the partisanship of this country and it will force americans to Work Together with each other to try and get things done on behalf of the people they serve. I want to thank the different groups that are of your for putting so much time, it is a long journey to get from where this started in wisconsin to this lawsuit with all the people organized like this. Do not underestimate how powerful you are by bringing this to the public attention. Please continue to educate people that bipartisan gerrymandering is destroying our country and making it overly partisan. Together we can make a difference but now we need the Supreme Court to help us. [crowd chanting] thank you, everybody. [applause] [crowd chanting] the politicians choose, voters always lose. [crowd chanting] please join me in welcoming [inaudible] representing issue one. [applause] how did that last one go . When politicians choose, the voters always lose. Is this a great day or what . Proud of standing here with a lot of organizations that are committed to ending political gerrymandering but i have a confession for everyone. I am a republican. I had the opportunity to serve in the house of representatives representing one of the most competitive Congressional Districts. I was elected twice in a district that barack obama had won twice and i will tell you if you want to fix gridlock might if you want to end the conversation of term limits, all we need are competitive districts. That would force congress to find a way together. I saw three major challenges, gerrymandering, the third being Campaign Finance reform. The court today has the opportunity to address political gerrymandering. At the end of the day, the court already has jurisdiction. They said they have jurisdiction to do that in the arizona case and now it is time to recognize that are limits they can put on political gerrymandering. It is what madison asked for in federalist x where he said the point and purpose of the house is due and excessive factions. We are governed today in a congress that is defined by excessive factions, we know. The people that loser all of us. The people that loser people asking for commonsense policies to address the concerns of the American People. And i want to say this as well we often approach this issue as , if it is punishment for elected officials or punishment for candidates, or punishment for Political Parties. Folks, this is not punishment, this is opportunity. Both parties will be made stronger if this court ends political gerrymandering. Candidates will be stronger if this court ends political gerrymandering because candidates will have to speak not only to their partisan interests, not only to their base, but also the third of Party Affiliates and those disenfranchised by the major parties. Also to voters that perhaps wish to come over and support a candidate. Both parties all candidates will , be made stronger. I saw a limited example of this and it is not prescient than today. We are coming off of a terrible disaster in nevada, a national tragedy. We also know that congress will not do a single thing about it. [booing] they are not because of how Congressional Districts are currently controlled. I represented a district in florida not far from the pulse nightclub. I came here last night while the democrats were having a sitin and i brokered a compromise. I believe we had to vote for it. A cnn anchor in the morning said that makes too much sense. Why will it not pass . I will tell you why. A bunch of younger, more centrist members reached a consensus on no fly, no buy. My side of the aisle said not a chance because of our base and the special interest money. The other side said not a chance. We are not working with jolly because he got redrawn into the district and it is ours. That is the breakdown of partisan gerrymandering in the house. When a nation cries out for solutions this body does , nothing. This court can change it. This court can fix that. Folks the bottom line is there , is absolutely zero conviction for bipartisanship in most of the districts in super majority districts. There is no reward for it. At the end of the day, you represent your party, your primary voters which constitute a minority of a minority. We the people are not governed by general election voters, we are governed by primary voters. This court has it opportunity in this case to say, yes, we are going to accept jurisdiction to protect democracy, and, yes, we are going to say there is a standard. Lets get it done. Is this a great day or what . Come on. [cheering] what do we want . Representation. What do we want . Representation. When do we want it . Now. Join me in welcoming our next speaker, Rachel Brewer of represent. Us. Ms. Brewer my name is Rachel Brewer, and i have the honor to represent us and all of the volunteers that make it worthwhile. Every day, we fight to fix the corrupt politicals system. A corrupt political system is a broken political system. When institutions designed to protect the Public Interest corrode and fail, when loopholes allow those in power to take advantage at our expense, that is corruption. And partisan gerrymandering is corruption in its simplest form. It is gaming the system so that party in power can keep it for years to come. This abuse of power by our government rigs the system against voters of all parties and it makes representation a very abstract concept. I know i am not the only one who is fed up with a system designed to protect people in positions of power no matter the cost. With all of you here today, i am ready and willing to rise up and to fight back. [cheers and applause] ms. Brewer together, we can demand an end to partisan gerrymandering and we can create a government that we deserve, one that represents the people and all of our voices. The court defines partisan gerrymandering as the drawing of legislative district lines to subordinate adherence of one Political Party and rival party power. Let me break it down to you. In the worst circumstances, gerrymandering is an abuse of power that reveals a fundamental distrust of voters. Not only does it take away power from the people, but it weakens the power of our actual votes and it weakens our faith in our government. It serves the selfinterest of the Political Parties and the political system all that the expense of the public good. But we deserve more. So today for the first time in nearly 15 years, the Supreme Court has the chance to end corrupt partisan gerrymandering. Were all here about to witness history, and we need to show loud enough for the courts to hear us, for our politicians to hear us, for history to hear us. We have a chance to see this unjust practice come to an end. We might see this country take a giant step forward towards fixing our corrupt political system and building a future that puts people first. And for everyone that is here today, you are not alone in this fight. Earlier this month, we heard from over 25,000 represent. Us members from red and blue states alike to all support us today and who all support this fight to end partisan gerrymandering. With each of them and every one of you here today, i came here with a chance to great real and lasting change. Just like you, i will not stop fighting until we can create a government where every vote and every voice will matter. So we are going to try chanting one more time. It will be new and a little different. When i say rise up. I want all of you to shout fight back. I want you to shout it for everyone who could not be here today. I want you to shout for the visionaries who came before us, for the reformers fighting alongside us, and the government that we will create together. I want you to shout like your future and your country depend on it, because they do. So rise up. Fight back. Rise up. Fight back. Rise up. Fight back. Thank you. [cheers and applause] we are history. We are history. We are history. We are history. We are history. We are history. Please join me in welcoming our next speaker, representative blumenauer from oregon. [applause] representative blumenauer thank you for being here today on what i hope will be an historic occasion. 15 years ago, i had an oped with my friend and colleague republican jim leach from iowa about the outrage that happened after the 2002 redistricting process in the elections. We pointed out that there were more competitive races in iowa with five members of congress than in new york, illinois, california, and florida combined. Because of the surgical precision that we saw from political insiders in both parties, in many cases they were involved with incumbent protection, not just partisan gain. But frankly, i had no idea that it would get as bad as it has gotten. It has been carried on to a whole new level of intensity and precision due to survey research, computers, and some really vicious political infighting. And as youve heard, this threatens everybody. It corrodes the political process and it disenfranchises millions and millions and millions of americans whose votes dont count for congress. I hope that youre being here today, part of an effort to put the focus on this insidious practice so we can raise the profile. But if we get a good decision out of Supreme Court, that is only half the job, because what we need is to take the politicians out of the role of selecting their voters and put voters back in the role of selecting politicians. There was a reason that iowa had more competitive congressional races than california and new york and illinois and florida combined. Its because iowa had an independent Redistricting Commission. We need to have Redistricting Commissions across the country. Every place where there is an initiative process, we need to be involved with initiatives to be able to put voters back in charge like they tried to do in florida, like they have done in arizona. But ultimately, i think we ought to have a national, Nonpartisan Redistricting Commission that puts everybody on equal footing and takes the politics out. Unless and until we do that, congress is going to continue to fall short and americans are going to continue to be shortchanged. Thank you very much. [cheers and applause] equal districts under law. Equal districts under law. Equal districts under law. Equal districts under law. Equal districts under law. Please join me in recognizing our next speaker from votevets. We have executive director will fischer. Mr. Fischer good morning, everybody. As mentioned in my introduction, my name is will fischer. Im an iraq war veteran, i am a United States marine, and i believe in free and Fair Elections and fair maps for everybody. Now, there was Martin Luther king famously asked a question one time what is the point of being able to sit at the lunch counter if you cannot afford a hamburger . And i think the same sentiment holds true for this conversation about voting because what is the point of having the right to vote at the same time that right is being heralded as existing at the very same time we are seeing individuals become disenfranchised . We are seeing voices silenced through the purging of voter rolls, through the strengthening of voter i. D. Laws, and yes, through partisan gerrymandering and these crazy drawn maps. When i was a young man, 18 years old, i joined the marines. It was impeccable timing. It was in may of 2001. I raised my right hand and i swore to uphold and protect and defend the constitution of the United States of america. I took that oath very seriously. As a recruit, i took that oath very seriously when i was a young man and i take that oath very seriously today as a veteran. It is for that reason that i stand here today, because of that oath i took, because my faith and belief in the ideals of america that i stand shoulder to shoulder and in solidarity with all of those behind me and with hundreds of thousands of veterans around the country and with the organization that i am with, to stand here in unison to say we are committed to defending those ideals that we fought for and that we continue to fight for. I would not dare go out on a limb and try to predict the outcome of todays election, but i promise that no matter what that outcome is, everything i have now just said is going to remain just as true tomorrow as it is right now. And i thank you all so very, very much. [cheers and applause] hey, hey, ho, ho, partisan gerrymandering has to go. Hey, hey, ho, ho, partisan gerrymandering has to go. Hey, hey, ho, ho, partisan gerrymandering has to go. Please join me in welcoming the president and executive director of Asian Americans advancing justice, john c. Yang. [applause] mr. Yang good morning, everyone. Thank you. My name is john c. Yang. I am the president and executive director of asianamericans advancing justice. Our mission is to advance the civil and human rights of Asian Americans and to promote and build a fair and just society for all. We are part of a National Affiliation with five other partners in atlanta, chicago, san francisco, and los angeles. We joined an amicus brief of this morning as part of an effort to establish reasonable standards for redistricting and to oppose extreme gerrymandering. We did this because community of color have much to lose with the gerrymandering that is happening right now. Asianamericans represent the fastestgrowing population in the United States right now. Over the past seven years, 1 4 of the population growth in the u. S. Is based on Asian Americans. Unfortunately, our representation in federal legislatures and state legislatures does not reflect our current demographics. And unfortunately, this is true of many, many, and all communities of color. The truth is this what happens is our communities get split apart into different districts so our votes get diluted. Our votes do not end up counting the same, so our voices are not heard. Instead of being talked to, instead of having a discussion with us, we are being talked at. That is not democracy. That is not what our nation is founded on. And that is why we stand in solidarity with everyone in wanting to establish reasonable redistricting standards. The truth is we need to have conversations across all lines. By having safe districts, that is not happening. Instead of having a general election where ideas are discussed, where ideas are debated, we are only talking to our ideological base. And for a community of color, we get ignored. People are not even talking to us at all. And that is why we need to have some mechanism to bring everyone together, to have real conversation, to have conversations between communities of color, to have conversations between different religions, different ethnicities, different people of sexual orientation. We need to have these conversations. We need to have these conversations in a reasonable manner. Unless we have reasonable redistricting standards, this will not happen. So what we need is not to have politicians try to enrich and maintain their status. What we need is reasonable standards Going Forward until the 2020 census and the redistricting plans that will happen thereafter. Thank you. [cheers and applause] show me what democracy looks like. This is what democracy looks like. Show me what democracy looks like. This is what democracy looks show me what democracy looks like. This is what democracy looks like. Show me what democracy looks like. This is what democracy looks like. Please join me in welcoming our next speaker, representative kildee, of michigans district five. Representative kildee thank you all very much, and thanks for being here. I am a member of congress and i represent flint, michigan. This is a community that knows something about the consequences of having their democratic rights taken away from them. And that is really what this argument is about. The democratic rights of americans. What we have in my home state is a set of maps that distorts public sentiment. Michigan is one of those purple states, and we know there are always going to be in play, those states like michigan, wisconsin, pennsylvania, ohio. Each one of them have had their democratic rights distorted, individuals in those states, their democratic rights distorted by maps that emphasize one ideology or one party and deemphasizes another. That is not democracy. People often wonder why cant congress act on the Big Questions that we face as a country. Why cant we get common sense bill to deal with Immigration Reform . Because the congress is not a reflection of the body politic. The congress is not a reflection of public sentiment. Why cant we get common sense gun safety legislation that most americans support . Because congress does not represent the views of the American People. They have been distorted by maps that are intended to emphasize a particular ideology, a particular point of view, a particular party. That is wrong and it has to stop and it has to stop now if we are going to be a democracy. We have to have a government that represents the broad views of the American People. And when in my state we have this 5050 state that has nine republicans and five democrats in that house of representatives, that has a state legislature with 63 republicans out of just over 100 that has a state senate a purple state with 27 republicans and 11 democrats, no wonder, no wonder the Big Questions we face cannot get answered in a way consistent with the wishes come of the feelings, the sentiments, the needs of the American People. It is because our maps, our gerrymandering is a carnival image of the body politic. It emphasizes some aspects and deemphasizes others. This is wrong. This is wrong. This is wrong. This is wrong. And it has to end now. And since the legislature, the legislators who benefit from the maps are the ones that draw the map, of this is the building we have to turn to to have our rights restored. And we are calling on this court, democrats and republicans coming together to restore that democratic principle that is the foundation of this country. We all deserve equal representation, and unless this court acts, we may not have that. Thank you for your voices. Thank you for being here. Lets keep up this fight. Thank you all. [cheers and applause] equal districts under law. Equal districts under law. Equal districts under law. Equal districts under law. Equal districts under law. Equal districts under law. Equal districts under law. Please join me in welcoming our next speaker. We have representative lowenthal from californias Congressional District 47. Representative lowenthal thank you, everyone, for being here. Before we actually begin, i want to i have been stunned and really want to pray and have in the thoughts of all of those who survived, all of those that were traumatized and, unfortunately, those that passed away in the horrors that took place in las vegas. It was just terrible. That is another issue that we as a Congress Need to deal with and that is gun safety. First, i want to thank a person that is inside today and that is governor Arnold Schwarzenegger from california. The governor led the battle to put on an independent Redistricting Commission as an initiative for the people of california to vote on. It was overwhelmingly passed and california has an independent Redistricting Commission. A little bit about myself i am a democrat in a very blue state. I participated as a new member in the California Assembly in 2001 in the redistricting that took place. I was so appalled by the fact that we were creating districts, even in a blue state, that represented protection of the incumbency. It was an incumbency protection rule rather than trying to respond to communities of interest. I then joined in 2002 a small group of bipartisan members. I took the lead in introducing an independent Redistricting Commission in california in 2003. That is why this is a long battle. That was almost 15 years ago when we started that. At that time, i cannot even get a second in the california legislature. Finally by 2005 and 2006, we were able i was able to move now in the senate by a 2 3 vote an independent Redistricting Commission. Unfortunately like what happened here, the bill was never taken up in the California Assembly after we had it ready to go on the ballot. And then governor schwarzenegger led to have it put on by petition and the overwhelming number of people in california supported an independent commission. When i was elected to the congress in 2012, i realized that we were not going to create a system where people trusted government any longer unless we did independent commissions throughout the nation. My first bill was let the people draw the lines in 2013, which was to create a mandate that we would have independent redistricting throughout the nation. That bill was never heard in the congress, like a lot of other bills that are never heard. In 2015, a number of my colleagues and myself, i took the leadership in making sure we did a bipartisan amicus brief to support the arizona independent Redistricting Commission. When that case when the Arizona State legislature sued the arizona Redistricting Commission, saying it was not legal to have independent Redistricting Commissions, which would have impacted my state also and a number of other states. Fortunately, this Supreme Court said no, independent Redistricting Commissions are legal under the constitution and that it was their opinion to uphold and support them. Then after that, we are seeing today and i helped to try to lead the amicus brief also to get republicans and democrats to support a brief that says gerrymandering, excessive partisanship is unconstitutional and we stood up. We are never going to reestablish support for our government if our representatives do not represent the will of the people, but the will of the Political Parties. Today is a critical day for the courts to take up. This is probably the most important gerrymandering case that has ever been decided by the u. S. Supreme court. I am proud to be here to support the courts attempt to really define what is excessive redistricting, excessive partisanship. How do we measure it, and how do we ensure in the elections coming up that we dont have partisan gerrymandering and that we outlaw gerrymandering. That is what were all here for. That is what we all stand for. This court stands for democracy. We are here to promote and support democracy, which is being ripped away from the american public. This is a critical day, and i think all of you for being here to show support. Lets return democracy to the people and take it out of the hands of the Political Parties. Thank you, everyone. [cheers and applause] what do we want . Representation. When do we want it . Now. What do we want . Representation. When do we want it . Now. What do we want . Representation. When do we want it . Now. Please join me in welcoming our next speaker. We have chief executive officer of the league of women voters, wylecia wiggs harris. [applause] ms. Harris good morning, everyone. The league of women voters is in the house for this important issue. What an important day it is today for our democracy. Behind us in the highest court in the land, nine men and women are eagerly listening to arguments about an issue that has plagued our election system for far too long gerrymandering. It is a big word, but its meaning as has been noted is quite simple. This is the process of politicians unfairly drawing electoral maps to benefit themselves and their Political Parties, not the voters. The result dysfunction, mistrust, and Public Policies that do not represent the will of the people. In wisconsin, in North Carolina, in ohio, in pennsylvania, and all across the country, there is some real crazy electoral maps. Wouldnt you agree . Yes. Ms. Harris districts that dont make sense that cross School Districts that break up and for what . So that politicians pick their electorate, not voters deciding who should represent them . It is high time we take charge of this and put an end to partisan gerrymandering and it can be done. In california, the league of women voters was part of a successful statewide referendum that ended gerrymandering of political districts. As already noted, we formed a coalition across the political spectrum. The business sector, labor organizations, and concerned members of the community all came together to create a valid a ballot measure, the intent to be fair to voters. That is what voters wanted, more equality in the system. So working across party lines, we formed an independent commission that redrew the electoral map in california, and it restored the public trust. The districts were drawn for the voters, not for the special interests or any particular Political Party. Around the country and other states, both parties have taken advantage of partisan gerrymandering when they are in power. In maryland, democrats have openly admitted to drawing district lines to benefit their own party, and that has always been part of the game. The party in charge controls the map. But today is the beginning of the end. That was the beginning of the end. The boundaries that are drawn in the future, we know that partisan gerrymandering is wrong. Now, there hasnt been the cut. Its up to the justices to determine when partisan gerrymandering is so extreme that it filings a constitution. Inside the building behind us, real voters are making their case that partisan gerrymandering has denied them a voice in their election. Those voters are not alone. Extreme partisanship, voting across the country, is harmful to our democracy. Sense is coming up in a few short years. Well now, its time to help create things with strengthen our community, and things that reflect their consolation. It is up to the Supreme Court to create aound rules, to more democratic and fair country. This is about fairness. Airness to the voters americans deserve fair, equal representation of our democracy. Why . Voters should elect their elected representatives. [applause] voters should elect their elected representatives. Elected representatives should not choose their voters. Lets give the power back where it belongs. Lets give the power back to the voters. Lets end partisan gerrymandering. Thank you. [applause] power to the people. We are tired of your tampering stop your gerrymandering we are tired of your tampering stop your gerrymandering we are tired of your tampering stop your gerrymandering please join me in welcoming our next speaker. We have the vp for legal progress from the center for American Progress, michele jawando. [applause] michele hi, everyone. How are you . You have to talk back to me because we are at a rally in front of the Supreme Court. How are you doing . [cheers] all right. The reason we are here today is that nine justices, one of whom many people think is sitting in a stolen seat but that is for another day, but nine justices today are hearing a case of fundamental importance to our democracy. I come before you as the Vice President at center for American Progress action fund and we have something to say about this case. Gerrymandering leads to skewed representation and legislators who are less responsive to the will of voters. Politicians are picking their voters instead of the other way around. Redistricting has broken our democracy. But scotus has in opportunity to fix it. We know that gerrymandering legislators are enacting policies that their voters do not support. How do we know . That me give you some facts. I know we live in a time of alternative facts but let me break some down for you today. The expansion of medicaid is something the majority of voters support but 19 states have refused federal funding. As a result, 2. 6 Million People have denied access to Affordable Health care insurance. Why . Because their legislators dont represent the will of the people. We are here on the eve of the las vegas tragedy. The greatest, largest mass shooting in our country. Yet, we know that 90 , 90 of the American People support common sense gun reform. What does that mean . Background checks. We know that 82 of trump voters support background checks, but what do we have . Legislators right there who refuse to work on the behalf of the American People. Enough is enough. We see state legislators that are preempting local laws that expand civil rights and protections and minimum wage increases. Why . Because our representatives increases. Why . Because our representatives arent representing us. But today, there are democrats here and there are republicans here and our independents here and our people from red states, blue states, and are people who are trends partisan and people who are standing up and saying enough is enough, we need fair maps. We need you to represent us. [applause] we the people, we the people as enshrined in the great foundational document of our country, we the people are saying we know that the deck has been stacked against us but nine justices have an opportunity to right those wrongs. They have the opportunity to change what has become a normal daytoday occurrence. We need our representatives to once again represent us. So what do we want today . Fair maps. What do we want . Fair maps. What do we want . Fair maps. What do we want . Fair maps. Thank you so much. [applause] democracy now democracy now democracy now democracy now democracy now please join me in welcoming before we welcome our next speaker, i first wanted thank all of the speakers that came on before hand, so please give them a round of applause. And a round of applause for yourselves for joining us here this morning. The court is about to get out so before we continue with our next section, we want everyone together off to the side so we can take a group picture. Please dont leave, we will be joined by lawyers that are coming out. We have former governor schwarzenegger who is going to be joining us. Please dont leave and join us for the picture. Please join me in welcoming our next speaker, congressman bill foster of illinois. [applause] mr. Foster my name is bill foster. I am the u. S. Congressman from the 11th district of illinois but i am also a son of wisconsin. Coming out of the door soon will be bill whitford, an old friend of my parents my father was on the university of law school for many decades. There is no one who better represents what progressives call the wisconsin idea. The idea that a University Professor should through his service improve the way our Government Works for all of its citizens. There cannot be a more fitting cap to the career of bill whitford that we hope to see from the Supreme Court in the coming months. Im also the only phd physicist in the United States congress. [applause] you can either applaud or cry. It has been true for more than a decade that the Supreme Court has been waiting for an objective measure to identify an egregious partisan gerrymandering and they have now in this case been presented by one of many workable metrics to identify that. I hope they do the right thing to not only support the principle, one person, one vote, and to promote confidence in our democracy, but do the right thing scientifically and to acknowledge the fact that there are objective measures that can set this problem right. Thank you for being out here. [applause] show me what democracy looks like this is what democracy looks like show me what democracy looks like this is what democracy looks like show me what democracy looks like this is what democracy looks like again, if we can give a round of applause to all of the speakers and all of you joining us this morning. [laughter] we are going to take a short break so please dont leave. If we can have you gather off to the side we will try to get a group picture. Please dont leave. Speakers will be joining us in the next few minutes. Thank you. Again, if you are tweeting, posting anything, dont forget to use the fairmaps. This way. [indiscernible chatter] hey hey, ho ho, partisan gerrymandering has to go hey hey, ho ho, partisan gerrymandering has to go hey hey, ho ho, partisan gerrymandering has to go hey hey, ho, ho, partisan gerrymandering has to go please join me in welcoming our next speaker. We have the executive director from the Lawyers Committee for civil rights under law, kristen clarke. Kristen for the last 30 years, the Supreme Court has thrown up its hands whenever a partisan gerrymandering case has come before it. With no clarity, the result is partisan politics run amok and Political Parties rigging the outcome of elections through gerrymandering before voters have even gone to the polls. The whitford case presents an opportunity to finally put standards in place, that put power back in the hands of the people. The voters that deserve to have their voices heard in the electoral process. This includes africanamericans, latinos and minority voters whose Voting Rights are constantly under attack, and who often suffer when politicians rig the system further own political gain. Racial gerrymandering is also a threat and can be a proxy for partisan gerrymandering which diminishes the voices of minority voters. This is what makes this case so important today. It is about ensuring the opportunity for all voters to have fair representation and meaningful participation in our democracy. The Lawyers Committee for civil rights under law is fighting with all of you to ensure that the rights of every eligible voter in this country are protected. And we call upon the Supreme Court to provide a long overdue remedy of partisan gerrymandering, one that is sufficiently flexible to deal with the way race affects our political process as well. Gerrymandering is a threat to the integrity of american democracy. It is time to rein in politicians who skew redistricting maps for their own naked partisan agenda. Today, Justice Sotomayor powerfully asked what value does gerrymandering have on our democracy . Gerrymandering has no value in our democracy. [applause] it is time for the Supreme Court to adopt an overdue rule making clear what constitutes unlawful gerrymandering and it is time for the Supreme Court to put in place rules that would yield fair maps. Fair maps in which the voices of all voters will be heard. Thank you. [applause] were tired of your tampering stop the gerrymandering were tired of your tampering stop the gerrymandering were tired of your tampering stop the gerrymandering were tired of your tampering stop your gerrymandering please join me in welcoming our next speaker from the Fair Elections project of wisconsin, sachin chheda. [applause] sachin ladies and gentlemen, are you ready to take back our democracy . Are you ready to take back our country . Are you ready to say that everybodys vote counts . Yes sachin this case started because citizens got together, five of us in a tea room in milwaukee after the 2012 election when we turned around and said our votes dont count. We got a majority of the votes but did not get a majority of the seats so we said we are not just going to stand here for the next 10 years and let it go, we are going to do something about it. Citizens together can take back our democracy. I was inside just now. I heard the case that the state made and they were concerned about states rights and they were concerned about the republic democracy. The one thing i did not hear them ask is where are the people . Where are the people of the United States of america that is supposed to be the core of our constitution . Where is the government for the people . Wheres the government by the people . Our five citizens came together and we grew. We added bill whitford who became the lead plaintiff. We had leadership from legislators, from citizen activists, the naacp, groups like the Campaign Legal center and the chicago Lawyers Committee. We have come together as the wisconsin fair maps coalition, 11 groups strong, to say we are not going to take it anymore. Whether we win or not, we put the issue of fair maps on the table. Are you with me to keep fighting . This is a bipartisan effort. This is not about winning for democrats in wisconsin. It is about waiting for everyone in wisconsin. This is not about winning for republicans in maryland. It is about waiting for everyone in maryland and massachusetts. It is about winning for everybody to make our democracy work again because when we come together as a country, when we come together as people, the promise of america is met. Today, the promise of america is not being met. We are not achieving our greatest selves. If you want to make America Great again, end gerrymandering. [applause] let me say one more thing. When we say we are fighting for democracy, these are not just empty words. Democracy happens when people participate. One thing that we heard that no one disputed inside is that gerrymandering and taking peoples vote away suppresses democracy. It suppresses participation in the very idea of america. So whether you believe you should stand with the hand on your heart or believe you should take a knee, or you believe you should vote blue or vote red whether you come from the south, the north, the east, the west, the midwest, together we are going to rise again as a nation. Were going to bring fair maps and we need your help to do it. Are you with me . Yes. Sachin all right, america, lets do this. [applause] show me what democracy looks like this is what democracy looks like show me what democracy looks like this is what democracy looks like show me what democracy looks like this is what democracy looks like show me what democracy looks like this is what democracy looks like [cheering] what do we want . Representation when do we want it . Now what do we want . Representation when do we want it . Now what do we want . Representation when do we want it . Now end gerrymandering when do we want it . Now end gerrymandering end gerrymandering end gerrymandering end gerrymandering end gerrymandering end gerrymandering end gerrymandering end gerrymandering please join me in welcoming our next speaker, wendy sue johnson, a wisconsin resident and plaintiff in todays case. [applause] wendy thank you all for being here. I understand you have already heard my good friend sachin. When i think about this case, what comes to mind is his quote at the tea room and the quote that you should never doubt a small group of thoughtful committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has. That small group sat down in that tea room in 2013 and decided we are not going to give up until we can fix this thing and the only way to do it is to launch a case. Three years ago, when bill whitford, whose name you all know, called me and said i am bill, im a retired law professor, you should join this case. I am going to send you this law review that was just published and i just opened up my own firm. I started out as a School Teacher for 10 years and my husband said you should not put your name on this thing because you will alienate your potential clients and you have this law firm to think about. I said if they care that much about my politics, they probably already know what they are. I said i dont care. One of the reasons i quit being a teacher and went to law school is so that i could join causes like this to make a difference. Difference in policies and difference for our democracy. When i was a member before i finished law school, i took the note to heart that you should change the world if you can and i served on a local school board. As a member of the school board, we met with our local legislators. We met cordially with democrats and republicans. We talked about School Funding and things important to us. Im sensing that perhaps Arnold Schwarzenegger is here, right . Anyway, my former representative who now has a District Across the street from my got up and left the very last meeting we had with our legislators and said i cant listen to this vile political commentary. What i was talking about is in the same National Economy prioritizing different funding and different priorities, like the state of minnesota. She literally walked out on the elected School Board Officials in her district because it she didnt have to listen to our concerns anymore. That was really the symptom of this greater problem. Voters should choose their representatives, they should not choose us to keep their jobs sacred. They should be accountable to us. They should compromise. We should come back from the polarization in this country and Work Together for democracy. [applause] mr. Hebert my name is gerry hebert and i am one of the lawyers for the bill whitford plaintiffs. [applause] thank you for being here because by being here, you are standing at a historic moment for our democracy. We are going to win this case because we believe in justice, we believe in fairness, and we believe in democracy where people and voters get to choose who represents them instead of politicians choosing and cherry picking which voters they like and which voters they dont like. Our countrys great promise is a government of the people, by the people and for the people. The most fundamental liberty is the right to choose freely who are elected representatives are when we go to the polls to vote. Whether that promise continues to be a real one today is precisely what was at stake when we were inside arguing this case. You know and i know that partisan politics on both sides of the aisle have rigged the system. We heard the Court Justices today asked questions which concluded the words rigged, stack the deck against voters. They know whats going on. Today, politicians and their consultants used precision, Sophisticated Technology to manipulate voting maps to keep their group in power with no respect, no regard for voters. Partisan gerrymandering is nothing short of a crisis for our democracy. It is more acute now than in any time in history, since even Elbridge Gerry coined the phrase by gerrymandering massachusetts. And as paul smith, my great colleague, said today the Supreme Court is our last hope. The politicians arent going to do it. The Wisconsin Legislature arent going to do it. Politicians will never do it. The court must step in. The wonderful plaintiffs who stood up for this case, they stood up and we need people in our history and society to stand up for what is right. We are hopeful today that the Supreme Court hears you out here and heard us in there to make sure they rise to the occasion, that they stop the extreme gerrymandering in its tracks, because we know that politicians wont do it and the American People are crying out for a solution on both sides of the aisle. Republicans and democrats overwhelmingly say to the Supreme Court, step in and do something, even if it costs my party seats in the legislature. They know that its unfair. They know that its undemocratic. Lets hope today is just the beginning of the end of the basic practice of gerrymandering us into submission. Thank you for your support. [applause] show me what democracy looks like this is what democracy looks like show me what democracy looks like this is what democracy looks like show me what democracy looks like this is what democracy looks like please join me in welcoming our next speaker. We have representative kessler of wisconsins district 12. [applause] rep. Kessler im the one who organized the meeting at watts tea room. [applause] i knew how bad this redistricting was in wisconsin and i knew that we would never have an opportunity to have democrats winning control in this decade and the court found that out. We were absolutely pleased when the threejudge panel wrote its decision and judge ripple, who was appointed by president reagan, wrote the decision that said wisconsins map is unconstitutional. I have to say that was a lift up for our spirits and we said we are going to go to the Supreme Court and we are going to end this. Thank you very much for coming. Thank you for your support and i think today i am going to be predicting a victory for us. Thank you. [applause] what do we want . Representation when do we want it . Now what do we want . Representation when politicians choose, the voters always lose when politicians choose, the voters always lose when politicians lose, the voters always lose were tired of your tampering, stop your gerrymandering were tired of your tampering stop your gerrymandering were tired of your tampering stop your gerrymandering were tired of your tampering stop your gerrymandering please join me in welcoming our next speaker, former governor of california Arnold Schwarzenegger. [applause] fmr. Gov. Schwarzenegger thank you, thank you. Hello, everybody. Its wonderful to be here in washington. Im looking at the building, i am talking about congress now, that has an Approval Rating of 16 . Herpes and colonoscopies are more popular than congress. [laughter] for some reason, 98 of them get reelected. The reason is because it is a fixed system. That is what gerrymandering is all about. This is why i say that the only one that can fix it is the Supreme Court. Thats why were here today, to ask them to fix this problem of gerrymandering. Ago, n said a long time the ones that create the problem cannot fix it. They never ever fix this problem. They are in one business only, to stay in power no matter what. This is why this is a sham to protect them. Incumbents,tect theres no competition. When theres no competition, theres no performance. Fixing why this is about our immigration system. For decades, the talked about fixing our infrastructure. For decades, they talked about fixing our universal health care. For decades, they talked about lowering the debt. At the same time, 98 of them end up getting reelected. You notice a fixed system. You know its a system where the politicians are picking the voters, rather than the voters picking the politicians. Time to say hostilities to and it isrymandering time to terminate gerrymandering. Thank you very much. [applause] thank you very much. What we want . Representation. When do we want . Now. What what do we want . Representation. [crowd noise] tonight, the Supreme Court oral arguments in a case challenging partisan gerrymandering in wisconsin. A discussion about russian efforts to influence u. S. Elections. And from washington journal, a look at the effect of the republican tax reform proposal on the national debt. Week the Supreme Court heard oral arguments in a case challenging wisconsind partisan gerrymandering of its Congressional District map. A lower court ruled the not drafted by the stated for public and legislature is unconstitutional. This argument is one hour. We will hear arguments this morning in case 161161,