WASHINGTON, March 24 -- Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Oregon, issued the following floor statement, which was published in the Congressional Record on March 23, 2021: Madam President, today I am proud to join a number of my colleagues to highlight the importance of S. 1, the For the People Act. The ballot box is the pulsating heart of our government of, by, and for the people. President Lyndon B. Johnson said: The vote is the most powerful instrument ever devised by man for breaking down injustice.  more ST