OFFICIALS LEGISLATION INTEREST GROUPS PUBLIC STATEMENTS COMMITTEES VETOES

Renew Voting Rights Act

Floor Speech

Date: July 28, 2015
Location: Washington, DC
Issues: Civil Liberties and Civil Rights

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Mr. PAYNE. Mr. Speaker, nearly 50 years after the Voting Rights Act was signed into law, we still see efforts to weaken voter protections and suppress votes.

Discriminatory voting laws, such as strict photo ID requirements and reduced early voting, disproportionately impact minority voters in the name of preventing widespread voter fraud, a problem that simply does not exist.

Clearly, since the Supreme Court's decision 2 years ago to erode some of the VRA's most critical protections, including preclearance requirements that protect against disenfranchising laws, the Voting Rights Act is still needed more now than ever before; yet Republicans have refused to allow a renewed and strengthened Voting Rights Act to come to the floor.

This should concern everyone who believes the right to vote is one of the most fundamental to our democracy. It is time we renew and strengthen the Voting Rights Act.

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