WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV) joined Senator Pat Leahy (D-VT) and 46 of her Senate colleagues in introducing the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, bipartisan legislation that would restore the landmark Voting Rights Act, as well as strengthen it in order to address modern day instances of voter suppression.
“The right to vote is something to be held sacred in this country,” said Senator Rosen. “Since our nation’s founding, brave men and women have fought to participate fully in our democracy. This legislation not only restores the Voting Rights Act, but strengthens it, giving the Department of Justice the tools to review and challenge discriminatory state laws that make it harder for some Americans to exercise their right to vote. In honor of the late John Lewis, a colleague and hero of the Civil Rights Movement, as well as all those who have fought for the right to vote, I support this legislation that would ensure that America’s Democracy is truly open to all Americans.”
BACKGROUND: In 2013, the United States Supreme Court’s Shelby County v. Holder decision gutted critical voter protections in the Voting Rights Act, crippling the federal government’s ability to prevent discriminatory state voting laws and procedures.
The John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act would restore and modernize the Voting Rights Act, as well as provide the federal government with critical tools to combat voter suppression.
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