Upholding the Legacy of the Honorable John Lewis

Floor Speech

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Mr. PANETTA. Mr. Speaker, I rise with pride and in support of tonight's passage of the John Lewis Voting Rights Act.

As we know, the right to vote is fundamental to our Nation. That is why we should be doing everything possible not to make it more difficult to vote but to enhance voting rights.

H.R. 4 does that by modifying the Voting Rights Act to restore and strengthen its antidiscrimination enforcement authorities.

Now, in my district, prior to the Shelby decision, we had a voting rights county. But, clearly, the threats to our ability to vote are not limited to my district as this year alone 18 States across the country have passed 30 laws making it harder to vote.

That is why I voted for this bill. That is why John Lewis served and sacrificed, and that is why he crossed the Edmund Pettus Bridge in 1965 and in 2020 when I was honored to cross it with him, hand in hand.

Tonight, we not only upheld the legacy of John Lewis but, by passing H.R. 4, we were able to eventually provide citizens with more opportunity to vote in our democracy.

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