Voting Rights

Floor Speech

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Mr. VEASEY. Mr. Speaker, the sacred right to vote is under attack for Black and Hispanic people in the State of Texas.

Dangerous Jim Crow 2.0 voter suppression laws are rapidly advancing across the country and in the Lone Star State right now.

During the 2020 elections, we saw 17 million Texans go out there and risk their lives, especially during the primary when there was still a lot of uncertainty about COVID to go out there so they could cast their ballot. Now only mere months later, Texas leaders in the State legislature are silencing the voices of these very voters by pushing some of the most restrictive voting measures in the entire country. This legislation will do everything from prohibiting local officials from sending out mail-in ballot applications to empowering poll watchers to actually be able to harass people with cell phones and video.

It is crazy, Mr. Speaker, what is going on. It is completely backwards, it is embarrassing, and for me as a Black American, it is embarrassing, because the big lie is being perpetuated by historic racist tropes that Black people are cheating and stealing at the polls.

It is uncalled for, it is unnecessary, it is racist, and it must end. I implore Texas leaders to stop this nonsense and get back to the business of helping families deal with the pandemic and help our State to keep growing.

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