Congressman Brown: No American Should Be Denied Their Right to Vote

Statement

Congressman Anthony G. Brown (MD-04), a member of the Congressional Black Caucus, released the following statement on the House passage of the John Lewis Voting Rights Act:

"Republicans around the country are making it harder for Americans to vote and hold their elected leaders accountable. The goal of voter suppression is clear: limit the number of people voting in our elections in order to hold onto power. That's unacceptable and runs contrary to our values as Americans. Regardless of race, political party, or background, no American should be denied their fundamental right to vote. Today, with the House passage of the John Lewis Voting Rights Act, we took an important step forward to protecting the cornerstone of our democracy.

"We need to respond to anti-democratic and disenfranchisement efforts with pro-democracy reforms and expansion of voting. We need to step up enforcement against discriminatory measures aimed at limiting the vote and targeting specific groups. That's what John Lewis fought every day of his career for, and that's exactly what this legislation will achieve. I urge the Senate to act in order to defend our democracy."

State lawmakers have introduced over 400 voter suppression bills in 49 states in the 2021 legislative session alone. And at least 18 states enacted 30 laws that restrict access to the ballot, with many more on the way.

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