An American with A Felony Charge is Still An American
Floor Speech
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Ms. SEWELL of Alabama. Mr. Speaker, today on this Restoration Tuesday, I rise to acknowledge the continued voter suppression around the country during this election year and the ongoing battle for protection of the constitutional right to vote. Across the country, voting polls have been shut down and voters have been shut out. New voter ID laws have been passed and eligible voters have been passed up. The American people want to vote. With so many new state laws that have made it harder for voters to get to the polls, we must take a hard look around and ask the question--why don't we want people to vote? Why make voting for eligible voters harder and not easier? The leaders in Congress need to have an answer to this question. Suppression of the right to vote is especially un-democratic and ultimately un-American. Not only are voting rights being attacked through its process, but there are Americans in this country that have been targeted as well. A felony charge does not automatically make someone any less American. Why then, should Americans who have served their time be removed from the democratic process? Just last month, Governor McAuliffe of Virginia had a response to this question; and his action made a clear statement--former felons are still Americans and they still have rights. Faced now with not only severe scrutiny but a lawsuit as well, Governor McAuliffe boldly did what he believes to be constitutional, democratic and right when he restored the voting rights of all Virginians with a prior felony conviction who fully served their time and have been released from supervised probation or parole. The state of Virginia is not alone. On March 10 of this year, Maryland also restored the right to vote for an estimated 40,000 individuals with past felony convictions. On that date, Maryland joined 13 other states as well as the District of Columbia in putting a stop to this continued disenfranchisement that plagues the majority of states in the country, including Alabama. We may be faced with great opposition, but fear of a fight is not an excuse to run away from doing what is right. I don't have to remind anyone that this is an election year. But when I look around and see the ongoing suppression of the right to vote, I feel obligated to remind us all of what is at stake in this election. Every vote counts. Everyone who calls the USA their home will have to deal with the consequences of this election. Americans who are convicted felons will have to deal with the consequences. They should not have to deal with these consequences in silence. They too have a voice and they too must be heard. Voting rights need protection and eligible voters need proponents of the Constitution and the democratic process to fight for them--to fight for their rights. The suppression needs to stop, the oppression needs to stop and the excuses need to stop. There is too much at stake this election year and Congress needs to stand up and do something about it now. On this Restoration Tuesday, I give us all the charge to battle against the continued suppression of the American vote and stand strong by our principles of democracy, liberty and justice for all. Mr. Speaker, my Republican colleagues should join the 168 Members of Congress and support H.R. 2867--the Voting Rights Advancement Act of 2015. Let's restore the Voting Rights Act of 1965. It is the right thing to do.
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