Fifty-one years ago tomorrow, President Lyndon Johnson signed the Voting Rights Act (VRA), one of the most critical civil rights laws in American history. Designed to enforce the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments, the VRA places a nationwide ban on racial discrimination in voting. Since being signed into law on August 6, 1965, the VRA has been amended and reauthorized by Congress on a bipartisan basis five times. Half a century after initial passage of this historic law, re...authorization is needed now more than ever.
In the 2013 Shelby County v. Holder decision, the Supreme Court struck down a key component of the Voting Rights Act—the coverage formula that required certain states and jurisdictions with a history of discrimination to preclear any changes to election laws with the Department of Justice. Chief Justice Roberts admitted that voter discrimination persists throughout the country and invited Congress to create a new coverage formula. Three years later, Republican leaders in Congress have refused to take up bipartisan legislation to restore the VRA. Meanwhile, states around the country have enacted new voting restrictions that prohibit students, the elderly, disabled, and minority voters from participating equally in the electoral process. Just last week, a Federal Appeals court struck down racially discriminatory voting laws in North Carolina that were passed in 2013 immediately following the Shelby County decision.
I think it is essential for Congress to take action to restore the Voting Rights Act to ensure that every American is able to access the polls this fall, and I’m proud to cosponsor H.R. 2867, the Voting Rights Advancement Act which creates a new preclearance formula. The bill also outlaws last-minute voting changes that adversely affect voters and prevents voting changes that are likely to discriminate against people of color and language minorities.
Voting is one of our most fundamental rights as U.S. citizens and any attempts to limit this right on a discriminatory basis must be addressed and reversed. Fifty one years ago, President Johnson and Congressional leaders embraced this fact. It’s time for Congress to step up again to protect voting rights.
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