Lofgren Applauds House Passage Of Landmark Voting Rights Legislation

Statement

Washington, D.C. -- Committee on House Administration Chairperson Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.) issued the following statement after the House passed H.R. 4, the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act. This landmark legislation to restore the full strength and protections of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 has been a top priority for the Committee on House Administration in the 117th Congress.

"The Voting Rights Act is one of the most consequential laws ever passed by Congress. It began the process of righting egregious wrongs and pervasive discrimination in American democracy. Since its passage, Congress amended and reauthorized the Voting Rights Act five times, all on a bipartisan basis.

"However, in the eight years since Shelby County v. Holder, states across the country have enacted discriminatory, suppressive voting laws, and Republican lawmakers in Congress and in state legislatures have steadfastly opposed efforts to renew this important law. With H.R. 4, the House fulfills its duty to respond to Shelby and to the Supreme Court's continued assault on the Voting Rights Act in Brnovich v. DNC, and to once again prohibit discriminatory restrictions on the right to vote.

"This important legislation appropriately honors the life and legacy of the late Congressman John Lewis, the hard-fought protections of the Voting Rights Act, and the future foundation of our American democracy. I applaud my colleagues on the Subcommittee on Elections, Chair G. K. Butterfield, former Chair Marcia L. Fudge, and the House Judiciary Committee's Constitution Subcommittee for their leadership."

Earlier this month, Subcommittee on Elections Chairman G. K. Butterfield (D-N.C.) released a staff report, "Voting in America: Ensuring Free and Fair Access to the Ballot," after holding five hearings to examine the state of voting rights throughout the country. This report is integral to providing a contemporaneous record of ongoing voter discrimination necessary to support H.R. 4 and the full enforcement of the Voting Rights Act.

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