Congresswoman Lee Marks 48th Anniversary of Voting Rights Act
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Carrie Adams
August 6, 2013
PHONE: (202) 225-2661
OAKLAND – Today, Congresswoman Lee marked the 48th anniversary of the landmark Voting Rights Act. President Lyndon Johnson signed this historic law on August 6, 1965. This law was enacted only after years of those in the civil rights movement marching and in some cases being beaten or dying for the right to vote. For 48 years, the Voting Rights Act has helped secure the right to vote for millions of Americans.
“The Voting Rights Act of 1965 is the most important and effective piece of civil rights legislation ever enacted by Congress,” Congresswoman Lee said. “The Voting Rights Act protects the right to vote, which is the heart and soul of our democracy.”
Unfortunately, on June 25, the Supreme Court, in its 5-4 decision of Shelby County v Holder, took a step backwards on the Voting Rights Act, by holding that the formula in Section 4 of the Act was unconstitutional and could no longer be used. However, the majority opinion also clearly stated that it was fully within the power of Congress to act to restore the Voting Rights Act, in line with the decision.
“Since 1965, bipartisan majorities have renewed the Voting Rights Act in Congress, affirming our shared commitment to ensuring that every American has equal access to the polls,” Congresswoman Lee pointed out. “When the Voting Rights Act was last reauthorized in 2006, Congress conducted a comprehensive review of the legislation and almost unanimously concluded that these protections are still needed to preserve the voting rights of all Americans.”
“Now, I call upon Members on both sides of the aisle to continue a bipartisan tradition and work together this fall to enact a legislative fix in response to the Supreme Court decision – a fix that will succeed in ensuring that the Voting Rights Act protects the right to vote for years to come,” Congresswoman Lee concluded. “Our country has made significant progress toward equality, much of which was made possible by the Voting Rights Act. At the same time, discrimination is still alive today and it remains a very real threat to millions of Americans seeking to exercise their right to vote. Restoring the Voting Rights Act to its full strength is essential to the future of our democracy.”
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