Press Releases

Thompson Statement on Supreme Court Voting Rights Decision

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congressman Bennie G. Thompson (MS-02), released the following statement regarding the United States Supreme Court’s decision in Shelby County, Alabama v. Holder to strike down parts of the Voting Rights Act:

“Today’s Supreme Court decision will make it harder for many Americans to exercise their Constitutionally-guaranteed right to vote.  The decision to invalidate Section 4 of the Voting Rights Act guts the most critical portion of the most important civil rights legislation of our time.  The Voting Rights Act has been used for nearly 50 years to protect the American right to vote.  Conditions and patterns of racial discrimination that were present decades ago persist in communities and states around the country today.  The protection that Sections 4 and 5 of the Voting Rights Act provided have not only been necessary, but effective.  In Mississippi, where 38% of the population is African-American – higher than any other state – we have seen African-Americans take advantage of the opportunity to serve in elected offices at all levels.  We have seen increases in voter registration and turnout – all made possible by the VRA.  It appears now that the court has done away with Section 4 only because it was effective.  While Section 5 remains intact, it is now useless unless Congress enacts a new method for determining which jurisdictions should receive more scrutiny.”

“There are still forces at work that would like to disenfranchise African-Americans and other groups of voters.  We have seen evidence of this with the latest efforts to require voter ID in states around the country.  Relatedly, Congress has not been silent on this issue.  House Democrats and Republicans alike have overwhelmingly and repeatedly voted in favor of reauthorizing this law.  Most recently, in 2006, such a reauthorization passed the House by a vote of 390-33.  Now, the Supreme Court has rendered the American people vulnerable to discrimination. Today’s ruling will undo many of the gains of the last 50 years. “

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