Bipartisan Group of Judiciary Committee Members File Supreme Court Brief in Support of Voting Rights Act

Today, House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers, Jr. (D-Mich.), Constitution Subcommittee Ranking Member F. James Sensenbrenner (R-Wis.), Constitution Subcommittee Chairman Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.), Rep. Melvin Watt (D-N.C.), and former Rep. Steve Chabot filed a bipartisan friend of the court brief in Northwest Austin Municipal Utility District Number One v. Holder urging the Court to defer to Congress’s judgment and uphold the constitutionality of Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act (VRA).  Section 5 is a key provision that prevents discriminatory voting changes.

In 2006, after receiving over 12,000 pages of testimony and documentary evidence in an exhaustive fact finding analysis, Congress determined that Section 5 has helped to deter, detect, and prohibit a wide range of voting laws and procedures that would otherwise have deprived minorities of their voting power.  Congress overwhelmingly voted to reauthorize the Voting Rights Act and President Bush signed this legislation in a dramatic South Lawn ceremony.

"Voting is the most important tool Americans have to influence the policies the government adopts that affect every aspect of our lives," said Conyers, "from tax policy, to preserving our environment, to protecting equal opportunity in housing, education, and employment. Unfortunately, even today, many minority voters face impediments or barriers to voting. I am very pleased to be joined in this brief by Republican and Democratic members alike who worked to extend Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act in 2006." 

"The most fundamental right is the right to vote – and that can be seen on the faces of the individuals who are participating in the democratic process," Sensenbrenner said.  "We built an impressive record during the 2006 reauthorization, and the evidence presented to Congress was overwhelming. While progress has been made, much still needs to be done, and the Voting Rights Act remains as necessary as ever in maintaining that progress."

"The Voting Rights Act has ensured equal voting rights for more than 40 years," said Nadler.  “When Congress reauthorized it, we compiled extensive evidence that the Act works and that it is still needed.  We are filing this brief to remind the Supreme Court that there remains a substantial and continuing need for the Voting Rights Act to ensure that this fundamental right will continue to be protected.  Without the Voting Rights Act – and without Section 5 of that Act – American voters could once again fall prey to the sort of discrimination that we have fought so hard to put behind us."

"The Voting Rights Act is probably the most carefully reviewed civil rights legislation in our nation's history.  In 2006, Congress again took its task seriously by substantiating in a meticulously developed record, the ongoing need for the Act.  By breaking down entrenched barriers to voter equity, it invites, inspires, and protects the full and equal participation of all citizens.  When we include a diversity of voices in our political system, the outcomes are stronger for all of us.  The Voting Rights Act, and Section 5 in particular, are measures that ensure that all citizens, regardless of race, participate effectively in our democracy, and its constitutionality should be upheld."

A copy of the Amicus Brief is attached here.