The publication is reproduced in full below:
VOTING RIGHTS ACT
______
HON. TERRI A. SEWELL
of alabama
in the house of representatives
Tuesday, July 27, 2021
Ms. SEWELL. Madam Speaker, I proudly represent Alabama's 7th District--the Civil Rights District--which includes the historic cities of Birmingham, Montgomery and my hometown of Selma.
I am honored to participate in the Congressional Black Caucus Special Order Hour on the heels of the anniversary of the death of the great Congressman John R. Lewis, my dear friend and mentor. I would also be remiss if I did not acknowledge the passing of Robert Parris Moses, another civil rights icon who was beaten and jailed while fighting for the precious right to vote. I am reminded daily of the sacrifices made by John, Robert, and the other countless foot soldiers.
For me, growing up in Selma, under the shadow of the Edmund Pettus Bridge, the history of the Voting Rights Movement was not something I had to learn in school.
The Foot Soldiers of the Movement were not pictures or names in a history book, they were a vital and vibrant part of the community in Selma--they were my teachers, my church members, my piano teacher, our firefighters and even my babysitter.
Their valiant, collective efforts put Selma on the map in a way that no one could have imagined, so much so that we still celebrate and commemorate those efforts today.
The movement continues, because it must--because the fight for equity is as important now as it was in 1965. Selma is still now.
Old Battles have become new again. Since the Supreme Court in Shelby County vs. Holder gutted the Voting Rights Act of 1965 in 2013, state legislatures all across the nation have passed restrictive voter laws making it harder for people to vote, especially for Black Americans and other minority voters.
Today, driven by the Big Lie of a ``stolen election,'' opponents to our democracy have ramped up their efforts to restrict access to the ballot box.
Just this year, lawmakers have introduced at least 389 bills in 48 states that would restrict the right to vote. And in 17 states, these anti-voter bills have already been signed into law. These laws are intended to allow politicians to pick and choose whose voices are heard by subjecting voters to:
longer lines,
inaccessible polling places,
strict voter ID requirements,
broken voting machines,
purges of voter rolls,
and voter registration complications.
These new tactics may not require us to count how many jellybeans are in a jar or recite the names of every county in Alabama, they are the same old tricks in disguise. Indeed, voter suppression is still alive and well.
As if these bills weren't enough, earlier this month, the Supreme Court upheld Arizona's discriminatory, anti-voter laws that were designed to target Latino and other minority voters. Specifically, the Court found that Arizona's out-of-precinct policy, which requires ballots to be thrown out if they were not cast in the assigned precinct, and its third-party ballot collection policy, which limits who can collect vote-by-mail ballots, were not discriminatory and did not violate section 2 of the Voting Rights Act. Simply put, the Court got it wrong.
Arizona's out-of-precinct and third-party collection ballot policies created unfair burdens and disproportionately impacted minority voters and, as a result, Arizona's election system was not equally open to all Arizona voters, particularly for Native American, Hispanic, and Black voters. Unfortunately, with this ruling the Court chose not to protect the precious right to vote and instead weakened a different provision of the Voting Rights Act, section 2, and made it harder for victims of voter discrimination to seek justice.
Let me be clear: Today we face a critical juncture. We are up against the most coordinated state-level effort to restrict the right to vote in generations and a Supreme Court keen on destroying our nation's most important voting rights law.
Luckily, we have a solution.
Democrats in Congress are committed to passing federal legislation to restore and protect the sacred right to vote for generations to come, and I'm so proud to be leading that fight.
My bill, the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Act, or H.R. 4, would restore and modernize key provisions of the Voting Rights Act that were gutted by the Supreme Court. It would once again prohibit any state or jurisdiction with a history of discrimination from implementing any election changes without receiving preclearance from U.S. Department of Justice.
The need for Congress to pass the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Act has never been so urgent. Without federal protections against discrimination, states across the country have and will continue to enact new voter suppression tactics that subject voters to: longer lines; inaccessible polling places; strict voter ID requirements; broken voting machines; and more.
That's why I'm hard at work drafting this legislation with the House Judiciary Committee and stakeholder groups. We are on track to have the bill ready for introduction in the coming weeks.
Never did I think the cause for which John Lewis marched for 56 years ago--the Voting Rights Act would require congressional action to restore its full protection.
It reminds us that progress is elusive and every generation must fight and fight again.
The legacy of my district requires that I pick up this baton of voter equality and continue the next leg--their Cause is my Cause too.
I look forward to introducing H.R. 4, The John R. Lewis Voting Rights Act, because the reality is--we have not yet achieved the America that John dreamed of.
John knew that our Country's best days lie ahead of us, but we must seize the opportunities to enact change every day.
He understood that democracy is not the whim or edict of one person; it is a constant, collective act of reinvention. We are a nation founded on a call to action--to strive daily for a more perfect union.
Every one of us has a role to play. As leaders we must lead and as citizens we must Vote.
May we all recommit ourselves to the ideals of equality and justice for which the foot soldiers marched. Let our words and actions stir the soul of our Nation.
John gave us his final Call to Action: John said, ``Never give up, Never give in, Keeping the faith, Keep your eyes on the prize.''
Let's get into Good Trouble.
____________________
SOURCE: Congressional Record Vol. 167, No. 131
The Congressional Record is a unique source of public documentation. It started in 1873, documenting nearly all the major and minor policies being discussed and debated.
House Representatives' salaries are historically higher than the median US income.
Alerts Sign-up