Thank you all for coming out. My name is joann and i am the for common cause maryland. Im not sure how many of you are familiar with common cause but we are a nonpartisan Grassroots Organization dedicated to upholding the core values of american democracy. Chapters,er 30 state over one million members threat the country. Common clauses one of three groups helping todays event. I also want to give a special thank you to all the groups who took different actions like filing amicus reefs and supporting the movements in a number of ways. A special thank you to all the volunteers who came out early and are hoping out today. With common cause maryland, to one of the two most gerrymandered in the country. The worst in the nation for how we draw our congressional and district lines. We cannot rely on elected officials to fix the system. It is time for the Supreme Court to create ground rules that based safeguard our right to vote. Today we are joined by a number of speakers who are going to highlight the importance of todays event. In support of the movement and this rally. Before we begin i want to make sure that if anybody here is htag. Ng to use our has please join me in welcoming our first speaker, she is our president for Common Cause National chapter. [applause] is a challenge getting up. Nice to meet with all of you and i am proud to center with many who have joined together to fight back. Elected officials and state legislators across country from citizenties as well as organizations to talk about the manipulation of our elections 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 gets elected. Policies are passed by congress and state legislature. They determine the future of our families and immunities. Politicians who manipulate the voting maps are placing their partys power above the people. They so the scenes of cynicism and cause too Many Americans to tune out of politics because it escalates polarization that rewards political dysfunction and emboldens extremes on both sides of the aisle. It provides little to no incentive for the public to engage. We are here to show the Supreme Court that the public does care about these issues. It may seem like wonky issues but it has a real impact on peoples lives. Voters recognize that highly gerrymandered legislatures are moving more extreme agendas. Thatafe seats gerrymandering creates. We have worked with the league of conservation voters, the National Education association, and the league of women voters in wisconsin to show that partisan gerrymandering results in the adoption of policies that are more paulison and extreme partisan and extreme than wisconsin. In wisconsin there is a historic riding clean government. Several years ago, wisconsinites at in place a independent Government Accountability board. This board was set to oversee and enforce compliance with ethics, Campaign Finance, and election laws. The legislature dismantled the independent Government Accountability board. Aey did it because they want weaker partisan agency in control. They did not want anybody to be investigating their actions. That was an investigation the accountability board put in place with scott walker and specialinterest money flowing into recall elections. They dont want accountability and they dont want enforcement of clean government rules. For k12 andunding public universities being very important to wisconsin citizens. Democrats, republicans, independents support that. The legislature slashed fundings for those programs. We also see strong bipartisan support for conversation come conservation. What did the legislature do . They slashed those programs. In North Carolina, another state where we see huge partisan gerrymander in place, we saw the Republican Legislature then transgender bathrooms. They did not move. The ncaa, nba allstar game, concert venues, and other businesses saying we are not going to North Carolina, business suffered and the state lost millions of dollars. Did the Republican Legislature act . No. They are in safe districts and they dont care what the people think. We also saw North Carolina put in place a power grab in terms of a terrible voting measure that would discriminatory laws on the books including slashing early voting, discriminatory butter id in order to ensure 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, on fortunate your, john mccain, Ohio Governor john kasich joining democrats like Sheldon Whitehouse and Tammy Baldwin in wisconsin to support and and to 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 support for the end to partisan gerrymandering. We are seeing reforms moving in states and people gathering at events like this. Today, leadersna from the hbcus student alliance, the historically black college and universities, are marching through the largest hbcus in North Carolina. The home of the aggies. They are marching on a street that literally divides the cameras campus. On the left is the 13th Congressional District and on the right is the sixth. Why was that gerrymander put in place . Ands 10,000 black students that is a powerful voting block. They divided them right down the center and we have the impact of this. It cannot just be about policies an also directly affect assault on the rights of black and africanamerican students in North Carolina. The Supreme Court could end gerrymandering as we know it in this case. Although the case is before the Supreme Court and dealing specifically with state legislative districts in wisconsin, if the Court Affirms the Lower Court Ruling in wisconsin, it will be of establishing the principle that partisan politicians and special interests can no longer rate the system rig the system by many leading voting maps. The action from the Supreme Court could reduce legislation and set a clear standard that makes it clear that as they are drawing maps, here is a line you cannot cross. In america, no liberty is more fundamental than the right to freely choose representatives through voting. When politicians manipulate the rules and choose their voters instead, it leads to dysfunction and legislative bodies do not care about their constituents. It is time to end this practice. Thank you very much. [applause] we are going to go into a few other camps. Ho, one is hey hey, ho gerrymandering has to go. Hey hey, ho ho, gerrymandering has got to go. 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, representative swazi. From new yorks third Congressional District. [applause] ho,ey hey, go ho gerrymandering has got to go. Ho, gerrymandering has got to go. I am toms was he from new yorks third Congressional District. The partisan divide in our country today is mainly caused by partisan gerrymandering. Everybody is sick of politics, politicians, the fingerpointing , people not getting things done. Why is it happening . In the house of representatives 400e are 435 seats of which 400 are safe seats which guaranteed if youre a republican youre going to win the election. If youre an a democratic seat, guaranteed you will win reelection in a democratic seat. You cant lose the general election. If you cant lose the general election the only way you can lose is if you lose a primary. Very few people vote in a primary. Less than 10 of people vote in a primary. To the moreen extremes of the party. Far left democrats, far right republicans. If you are a compass person who cant lose and you want to keep one wing happy you are going to try to please that wing of your party. Democrats trying to please the left, republicans trying to please the rights. In the middle you will get squashed like a bug. That is the problem going on in our country. All these safe seats result in politicians not pandering to the people, not pandering to the general public, they pander to the base of their party. We must get rid of partisan gerrymandering in america. To force elected officials to be subject to the only thing that makes them a pursue work. Competition. People battling over ideas. I have a better idea than you. I have a better way of doing it more effectively. Cheaper. Of the 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 dont have competitive seats is because of partisan gerrymandering. This lawsuit today, this case being argued today, if the Supreme Court decides as we hope that they do, that partisan gerrymandering is illegal, it and change the partisanship force americans to Work Together with each other to get things done on the half of the people they serve. I want to thank the different groups appear today to put so much time. It is a long journey to get from where this all started in wisconsin to this lawsuit with all these people organized like this. Dont underestimate how powerful you are by bringing this to the public attention. Please continue trying to educate people while partisan gerrymandering is destroying our country and making it overly partisan. Together we connect a difference but now we need to Supreme Court to help. Hey hey, ho gerrymandering has got to go thank you, everybody. Hey hey, ho ho, partisan gerrymandering has to go hey hey, ho ho, partisan gerrymandering has to go when politicians choose, the voeters always lose when politicians choose, the voters always lose please join me in welcoming congressman jolly, representing district one. Jolly how did that last one go since everybody is chanting . When politicians choose, the voters always lose. Is this a great day or what . I am proud to be setting here with a lot of organizations that are looking to end political gerrymandering but i have a message i am a republican. [laughter] thank you. I have the opportunity to serve in the house of representatives, representing one of the most competitive districts in the country. I was elected twice as a republican that obama had won twice. I will stand here today and tell you if you want to fix gridlock, and any conversation of term limits, all we need are competitive districts. Electoral competitive districts would force congress to find a way to Work Together. Challenges jor the first being political gerrymandering, the third being Campaign Finance reform. Thecourt today has opportunity to address political gerrymandering. At the end of the day, the court has already 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. Approach this issue as if it is punishment for elected officials or punishment for candidates, or punishment for Political Parties. 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, their base, but also the third of Party Affiliates and those disenfranchised by the major parties. Also voters that perhaps wish to come over and support a candidate. All candidates will be made stronger. I saw a limited example of this and it is not pressing 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 occur. I represented a district in florida not far from the pulse nightclub. Theme here last night while republicans were having a sitting and i brokered a compromise. I believe we had to vote for it. Morning saidin the 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, bono buy. Our group said not a chance because of the special base and 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 supporters, this body does nothing. This court can change it. This court can fix that. 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 constitutes minorities and majority. 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. 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 join me in welcoming our next speaker, Rachel Brewer of represent. Us. Brewer my name is rachel and i have the honor to represent us and all of the volunteers that make it worthwhile. Every day, we work 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. Partisan gerrymandering is corruption in its simplest form. So thatming the system 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 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 will matter the cost. With all of you here today, i am ready and willing to rise up and to fight back. [applause] 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 to one Political Party and rival party power. Let me break it down to you. In the worst of, gerrymandering is an abuse of power that reveals a fundamental distrust of voters. Not only does it take away power from the people that 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 political system all that the expense of the public good. We deserve more. 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 loudry and we need to show enough for the courts to hear us, 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 a corrupt political system and building a future that puts people first. 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 all support this fight to end partisan gerrymandering. With each 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 matter. We are going to try changing 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 thank you. [applause] 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] rep. Blumenauer thank you for being here today on what i hope will be a 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. Frankly, i had no idea that it would get as bad as i