SPLC Action Fund Applauds Introduction of John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Congresswoman Terri Sewell (D-Ala.) and colleagues introduced HR 14, the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act. The SPLC Action Fund strongly supports this essential legislation.
“Expanding and protecting our democracy are the foundations our nation was built on,” said SPLC Action President and CEO Margaret Huang. “For nearly 50 years, the Voting Rights Act of 1965 enjoyed overwhelming bipartisan support from Congress and the presidency, and it is unfathomable that this critical civil rights law cannot now be restored.”
The act was last reauthorized 17 years ago with approval by 98 senators before being signed into law by President George W. Bush. Even U.S. Sen. Strom Thurmond (R-SC), who led the 1957 filibuster against the Civil Rights Act, later voted to renew the Voting Rights Act.
“Since its last reauthorization, the Voting Rights Act and our fundamental right to vote have suffered many setbacks,” Huang continued. “Not renewing the act resurrects the exclusionary politics of the Jim Crow era, and again closes the doors of our democracy to Black, Latinx, low-income, young and voters with disabilities to hamper their ability to elect and be represented,” Huang said.
“We urgently need to restore the full protections of the 1965 Voting Rights Act. The John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act will do that as well as modernizing the law to address contemporary forms of voter discrimination and ensure all voters can cast a ballot. That is why we urge every member of Congress to support this important legislation. The promise of democracy is not guaranteed; it must be fought for if we hope to secure the promise that all citizens can vote.”
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About the SPLC Action Fund
SPLC Action Fund is a catalyst for racial justice in the South and beyond, working in partnership with communities to dismantle white supremacy, strengthen intersectional movements, and advance the human rights of all people. SPLC Action Fund is the 501(c)(4) affiliate organization to the Southern Poverty Law Center. For more information, visit www.splcactionfund.org.
