Rep. Sewell Calls on Congress to Restore the Voting Rights Act

Statement

Today, Congresswoman Terri Sewell spoke of the urgent need to restore federal voter protections alongside Rep. John Lewis and members of the House Democratic leadership team. A transcript of her remarks follows:

"Today I stand with my colleagues to demand that Congress act to restore the Voting Rights Act of 1965. We must not allow ourselves to be distracted by all this talk about the Confederate flag, symbols, and statues. To be sure, these offensive symbols are relics of the past and that's where they belong -- in the past. But to truly change the hearts and minds of people we must -- and we must do it now -- have policies and laws that change behavior. So today we declare that restoring the Voting Rights Act is the most tangible, substantive way that we in Congress can level the playing field, and ensure that all Americans have access to the ballot box.

It is a unique and positive action that only Congress can do. Two years ago the Supreme Court in Shelby decision obliterated Section 4 pre-clearance and federal protection for vulnerable communities. The Supreme Court issued Congress a challenge. They said that we needed a modern day formula in order to have federal protection. They didn't say federal protection wasn't needed. They said that we needed a modern day formula. Well Congress can and must answer that challenge. The fate of a democracy depends on its citizens having the unfettered, unrestricted right to vote.
Today, Congresswoman Terri Sewell spoke of the urgent need to restore federal voter protections alongside Rep. John Lewis and members of the House Democratic leadership team. A transcript of her remarks follows:

"Today I stand with my colleagues to demand that Congress act to restore the Voting Rights Act of 1965. We must not allow ourselves to be distracted by all this talk about the Confederate flag, symbols, and statues. To be sure, these offensive symbols are relics of the past and that's where they belong -- in the past. But to truly change the hearts and minds of people we must -- and we must do it now -- have policies and laws that change behavior. So today we declare that restoring the Voting Rights Act is the most tangible, substantive way that we in Congress can level the playing field, and ensure that all Americans have access to the ballot box.

It is a unique and positive action that only Congress can do. Two years ago the Supreme Court in Shelby decision obliterated Section 4 pre-clearance and federal protection for vulnerable communities. The Supreme Court issued Congress a challenge. They said that we needed a modern day formula in order to have federal protection. They didn't say federal protection wasn't needed. They said that we needed a modern day formula. Well Congress can and must answer that challenge. The fate of a democracy depends on its citizens having the unfettered, unrestricted right to vote.

Our vote is our voice, and no voice should be silenced. We must never surrender the voice -- our voice -- that was died for, prayed for, and marched for by brave Americans like our beloved Congressman John Lewis.

When we place barriers to voting or support voting practices that have the intended or unintended consequences of impacting vulnerable communities we're restricting their rights.

The hypocrisy of this Congress really baffles to me. On March 7, Congressman Lewis and I welcomed over 100 members of Congress to Selma to commemorate Bloody Sunday. The fact that the brave men and women -- ordinary Americans -- could collectively achieve extraordinary social change is something that both the Republicans and Democrats who showed up in Selma could do.

It was Kumbaya moment, but what did we do when we came back to Congress? Nothing. Yes, we agreed to give a Congressional Gold Medal to the Foot Soldiers of the Voting Rights Movement, and it is a long time coming. But instead of simply awarding them with a Gold Medal, my challenge to my colleagues -- Republicans and Democrats -- is that we actually restore the Voting Rights Act.

I along with Senator Leahy and Congresswomen Sanchez and Chu introduced a bill on June 25, 2015, the second anniversary of the Shelby decision. It was called the Voting Rights Advancement Act and it is an expansive bill that not only restores pre-clearance, but it has a modern day pre-coverage formula. It has a look back to 1990 and going forward. Thirteen states are captured by this new formula including states Alabama, California and New York. This Act is what we want people to act on now. It's expansive, and includes provisions to protect Native Americans and ensures that ballots are translated into multiple languages. It also calls out known practices like redistricting jurisdictions to at-large districts that often dilute the vote of African-Americans and other vulnerable communities.

In closing, I think that we in Congress are the only ones who can truly act on the challenge presented from the Shelby case. My hope is that we act now, and that we take this opportunity as our country mourns the loss of nine Americans due to hatred. We can level the playing field and restore the Voting Rights Act. We must do so. We have to do so and we should do it now.
Our vote is our voice, and no voice should be silenced. We must never surrender the voice -- our voice -- that was died for, prayed for, and marched for by brave Americans like our beloved Congressman John Lewis.

When we place barriers to voting or support voting practices that have the intended or unintended consequences of impacting vulnerable communities we're restricting their rights.

The hypocrisy of this Congress really baffles to me. On March 7, Congressman Lewis and I welcomed over 100 members of Congress to Selma to commemorate Bloody Sunday. The fact that the brave men and women -- ordinary Americans -- could collectively achieve extraordinary social change is something that both the Republicans and Democrats who showed up in Selma could do.

It was Kumbaya moment, but what did we do when we came back to Congress? Nothing. Yes, we agreed to give a Congressional Gold Medal to the Foot Soldiers of the Voting Rights Movement, and it is a long time coming. But instead of simply awarding them with a Gold Medal, my challenge to my colleagues -- Republicans and Democrats -- is that we actually restore the Voting Rights Act.

I along with Senator Leahy and Congresswomen Sanchez and Chu introduced a bill on June 25, 2015, the second anniversary of the Shelby decision. It was called the Voting Rights Advancement Act and it is an expansive bill that not only restores pre-clearance, but it has a modern day pre-coverage formula. It has a look back to 1990 and going forward. Thirteen states are captured by this new formula including states Alabama, California and New York. This Act is what we want people to act on now. It's expansive, and includes provisions to protect Native Americans and ensures that ballots are translated into multiple languages. It also calls out known practices like redistricting jurisdictions to at-large districts that often dilute the vote of African-Americans and other vulnerable communities.

In closing, I think that we in Congress are the only ones who can truly act on the challenge presented from the Shelby case. My hope is that we act now, and that we take this opportunity as our country mourns the loss of nine Americans due to hatred. We can level the playing field and restore the Voting Rights Act. We must do so. We have to do so and we should do it now."

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