Rangel Statement on the One Year Anniversary of the Shelby V. Holder Decision

Statement

Congressman Charles Rangel released the following statement on the one year anniversary of the Shelby v. Holder decision:

"Last year the Supreme Court ruled Section 4b of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 unconstitutional. After the Court's ruling, states without delay started enacting discriminatory voting legislation and implementing restrictive laws that made it much more difficult for Americans to cast their ballots. It is a sad fact that the majority of people affected by these unfair laws are going to be people of color, perpetuating decades of legal disenfranchisement and historical marginalization. Throughout history people of color have had their voice silenced in our democracy, but with the passage of the Civil Rights Acts and the Voting Rights Act, they began to proudly make their voice heard. However, with the Shelby v. Holder decision, discrimination in voting will continue to linger throughout our history, and Americans from across the country will not be able to participate in our political process.

Although, the Shelby v. Holder decision unfortunately dealt a major blow to the Voting Rights Act and to the wonderful achievements of the Civil Rights Movement, we can still remedy the problem. Congress has the power to enact legislation that will correct the failures of the decisions and adequately address the problem of discrimination in voting; the Voting Rights Amendment Act of 2014 can help restore the protections lost with the Supreme Court's ruling last year and safeguard the ballot box from unfair infringement.

I was honored to march with Dr. Rev Martin Luther King, Jr. and other civil rights leaders from Selma to Montgomery to stand up for the democratic values that we hold so dear. Since this historical march, I have seen our country make great strides forward. To defend the integrity of our democracy, we have an obligation to protect the right of all Americans to vote.

With that, I am a cosponsor of the Voting Rights Amendment of 2014 and I urge my colleagues to do the same. Our country's democracy was built upon the right to vote, and it must be preserved."

Source