Rep. Davis Supports Voting Rights Act Reauthorization

 

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congressman Jim Davis voted for H.R. 9, “The Fannie Lou Hamer, Rosa Parks, and Coretta Scott King Voting Rights Act Reauthorization and Amendments Act of 2006,” which passed the House of Representatives 390 to 33.

 

Davis, a cosponsor of H.R. 9, released the following statement in support of the bill:

 

“Our country was founded on the principle that ‘all men are created equal.’  Sadly, it has taken our nation far too many years to realize equality for all men and women. 

 

“The Voting Rights Act marked a critical step in that difficult journey, and one that Americans should celebrate.  Today, I was honored to stand with some of America’s greatest civil rights leaders, like my friend Congressman John Lewis of Georgia, who put his life on the line to fight for the principles upheld by the Voting Rights Act.  The legislation we passed today will preserve those hard-fought rights for future generations.”

 

“This landmark legislation for the first time broke down the obstacles that were disenfranchising millions of African Americans.  The Voting Rights Act brought a long-overdue end to the poll taxes, literacy tests and other measures that stripped citizens of their fundamental right to vote. 

 

“As our nation continues to struggle to provide equal opportunities for all Americans, the Voting Rights Act remains crucial to the goal of ensuring that every vote is counted, that all citizens are able to participate in the political process and that minority communities are represented at all levels of government.

 

“So many brave Americans gave so much in the fight for the right to vote.  The Voting Rights Act honors their efforts, and the bill passed today ensures that their sacrifices will never be forgotten.”