McCarthy Calls for Reauthorization of Voting Rights Act
McCarthy Calls for Reauthorization of Voting Rights Act
Rep. Carolyn McCarthy called for passage of H.R. 9, the Fannie Lou Hamer, Rosa Parks, & Coretta Scott King Voting Rights Act. HR 9, which McCarthy co-sponsored, reauthorizes the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
"The Voting Rights Act was established to end decades of oppressive tactics used to deny millions of African-Americans, Latinos, Asians, and Native Americans from exercising their right to vote," said McCarthy. "Forty years later, it is clear that the Voting Rights Act was one of the most necessary and effective civil rights laws ever enacted. Without it, America would be a very different place."
McCarthy warned that while great progress has been made since 1965, much work is left to be done. "There are still people out there who want to suppress the vote of certain groups and this legislation will make sure no voter is disenfranchised," said McCarthy. "It will take more than 40 years of the Voting Rights Act to undo more than 100 years of Jim Crow."
Prior to the law's enactment, members of certain communities faced countless impediments to voting such as poll taxes, harassment, intimidation, and even violence when attempting to participate in elections. It is important to remember that these shameful tactics were not exclusive to the South, but common throughout the entire United States.
Thanks to the Voting Rights Act, there are more than 9,000 African American elected officials in the United States today, as opposed to only 1,479 in 1970. These numbers would have been unthinkable 40 years ago.
"In order for democracy to thrive, everyone must have the right to vote, regardless of race, religion, or income," said McCarthy. "It is not only the responsibility of every American to vote, but also to ensure everyone is allowed to exercise to participate in the electoral process."
"The Voting Rights Act of 1965 worked, and Congress must allow it to continue to work for future generations."
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