Garamendi Cosponsors Legislation to Restore Voting Rights and Releases Video Honoring Black History Month

Press Release

Today, Congressman John Garamendi (D-Fairfield, CA) announced that he cosponsored H.R. 885, the Voting Rights Amendment Act of 2015 and H.R. 411, the SIMPLE Voting Act. These co-sponsorships coincide with celebrations of Black History Month, which reminds our nation of the hard-fought struggle for civil rights.

"The right to vote is the cornerstone of our democracy. The Voting Rights Amendment Act of 2015 would prevent this sacrosanct right from being abridged. I am pleased that Democrats and Republicans have come together to introduce this legislation. I urge House Leadership to continue the strong bipartisan tradition of Voting Rights Act reauthorizations by bringing this bill to the floor without delay," said Congressman Garamendi. "The SIMPLE Voting Act would help ensure that no American has to wait in line for several hours just to cast his or her ballot -- lines that often present another type of voter suppression. Collectively, these bills would better safeguard our right to vote."

The bipartisan Voting Rights Amendment Act of 2015 was introduced in response to the Supreme Court's Shelby County v. Holder decision which struck down Section 4b, the core provision in the landmark Voting Rights Act of 1965 that determines how states are covered under Section 5 of the Act (which requires federal preclearance of voting changes by covered jurisdictions to protect against discriminatory voting methods).The bill updates the coverage formula by making all states and jurisdictions eligible for the coverage formula based on voting violations in the last 15 years.

President Lyndon Johnson signed the Voting Rights Act into law in August of 1965, and it has been reauthorized four times since. President George W. Bush signed the most recent reauthorization into law in 2006, after the House voted 390-33 and the Senate 98-0 in favor of the legislation.

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