DeLauro Marks the 50th Anniversary of the Voting Rights Act
Urges House Republicans to Support Voting Rights Now
NEW HAVEN, CT—Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) released the following statement today commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act.
“Ensuring all Americans can freely participate in the electoral process is a bedrock of our democratic society. Fifty years after President Johnson signed the Voting Rights Act, that law is still under assault. Republicans who control the House of Representatives should allow an immediate vote on legislation to restore the Voting Rights Act, update and modernize our voter registration systems, and require all states to allow some form of early voting.”
On June 25, 2013, the Supreme Court struck down the Voting Rights Act requirement that certain states and localities get permission from the Justice Department before making changes to their election processes, on the grounds that those areas have a history of discrimination. In that decision, Chief Justice Roberts acknowledged the ongoing persistence of voter discrimination and invited Congress to come up with a new coverage formula based on current conditions. At the time, DeLauro called the decision a complete assault on the Voting Rights Act and called on Congress to protect “the most fundamental right of our democracy.”
DeLauro is a cosponsor of two pieces of legislation, the Voter Empowerment Act of 2015 and the Voting Rights Advancement Act of 2015, which would renew and expand standards in the Voting Rights Act.
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