End Citizens United // Let America Vote Action Fund President Tiffany Muller released the following statement on the Senate Judiciary Committee’s hearing on Protecting a Precious, Almost Sacred Right: The John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act:
“Today’s hearing highlighted the persistent attacks on the freedom to vote and the importance of the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act to ensure every American has fair and equal access to the ballot box, regardless of their color, background, or zip code.
“This bill is a historic piece of voting rights legislation that will restore the full strength of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 after it was gutted by an extremist, right-wing Supreme Court. This year alone, there have been attempts to restrict the vote with an intensity not seen since the Jim Crow era, with 33 anti-voter laws having been signed into law in 19 states.
“It is more important than ever that the Senate pass this critical voting rights legislation to protect the voice and vote of all Americans from future racially discriminatory laws aiming to block access to the ballot. As Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock said during the bill’s introduction yesterday, the restrictive voting laws that Republican-led state legislatures across the country continue to advance would have been prevented with this bill signed into law. The sustained assault on the freedom to vote must be stopped from continuing into the future, which is exactly what this bill will do.
“We thank Chairman Dick Durbin, Senator Jon Ossoff, and Democratic Senators for recognizing the urgency of this matter and bringing it before the Senate Judiciary Committee. We also thank Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke, Chief Counsel and Senior Deputy Director of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law Jon Greenbaum, and Vice President of the Democracy Program at the Brennan Center for Justice Wendy Weiser for their testimony and willingness to ensure the committee has accurate factual information about this bill and the state of voting rights in America today.
“To honor the legacy of the late Congressman John R. Lewis, who dedicated his life to protecting voting rights, the Senate must pass this critical legislation.”
###