Supporting the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act

Floor Speech

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Ms. SEWELL. Mr. Speaker, in the more than ten years since the Supreme Court gutted the Voting Rights Act in the Shelby vs. Holder case, state legislatures have targeted voters and erected deliberate barriers to the ballot box in what amounts to the most coordinated effort to restrict voting access in generations. These new laws would: Close polling stations without advanced notice, purge voter rolls, curb early voting and voting by mail, impose strict ID requirements and limit multi-lingual voting materials.

If we are to gather here today and discuss solutions to rid this Nation of voter disenfranchisement, then I suggest that instead of the Republican misguided bill, the House finally take up H.R. 14, the John Robert Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act.

Named for our late great colleague and Civil Rights hero, the bill would establish a modern-day formula to prevent states with a recent history of voter discrimination from enacting restrictive voting laws.

Generations of Americans marched, fought and even died for the right to vote, many in my hometown of Selma, Alabama. We cannot let the continuation of unjust practices threaten their legacy and undermine our democracy.

The right to vote is the most fundamental right in our democracy. With the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, we're ensuring that every eligible American can make their voices heard in fair, accessible, and transparent elections.

I hope my colleagues on the other side of the aisle will finally join me and fellow Democrats in this worthwhile endeavor.

It was John Lewis who said ``that the right to vote is precious, almost sacred. It is the most powerful non-violent tool in a democratic society. We must use it.''

I urge my colleagues to join me in defending this precious right so that H.R. 14 can finally be brought forward for a vote; and show once and for all to our constituents that we are united in defense of our democracy and our most sacred right to vote.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source