Voting Rights
In the 117th Congress, Democrats passed H.R. 1, the For The People Act, which would promote government transparency, strengthen access to the ballot box, secure election infrastructure, and curb the influence of dark money in politics. The House also passed H.R. 4, the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act of 2021, which would reauthorize key portions of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 that were struck down in the Supreme Court’s flawed Shelby County v. Holder and Brnovich v. DNC decisions. In addition, the House passed H.R. 5746, the Freedom to Vote: John R. Lewis Act, which would set basic nationwide standards for how elections are conducted and take action to end partisan gerrymandering. Senate Republicans shamefully continue to obstruct these vital pieces of civil rights legislation and attack our democracy.
Democrats will continue to protect our democracy, advance the cause of voting rights, and expand access to the ballot box. We will fight to ensure that misleading information does not deter Americans from participating in our democracy and having confidence in the results of our free and fair elections.
WASHINGTON—Today House Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer, House Administration Committee Ranking Member Bob Brady and House Judiciary Committee Ranking Member John Conyers convened a meeting of Members and representatives from youth, student, and voting organizations. The discussion focused on the escalating attempts to prevent students and young people from casting ballots this November. In state legislatures across the country, there has been a significant rise in laws designed to hinder access to the ballot for students, minorities, seniors and other groups. If nothing is done about these new restrictions, thousands of those eligible young voters will be turned away from the polls.
The list of officials speaking up in opposition to recent attacks on the right to vote across the country continues to grow. In case you managed to skip over this op-ed, your ever-helpful Democratic Whip Press Shop wanted to make sure you saw former Florida Gov. Charlie Crist condemning the latest attempt to deny access to the ballot box in Florida.
"Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my friends in the Congressional Black Caucus for organizing today's special order. As my colleague, Mr. Engel, as my colleague on the Republican side, and as Dr. Christensen has pointed out, our hearts and thoughts go out to and with those people who by happenstance of going to a movie have lost their lives. Been injured badly. Have lost family members. Have had the confidence of going out and about in this country put at risk. How we lament that loss of life, that loss of confidence, that loss of a sense of safety in their community.
Recently, several states across the country have made unprecedented attempts to undermine voters’ rights across the country.
MESSAGE FROM THE DEMOCRATIC WHIP
To highlight our commitment to creating jobs, House Democrats joined me this week in announcing new legislation added to our Make It In America plan, a comprehensive jobs package that invests in manufacturing in order to create jobs and grow our economy. The new list of Make It In America bills focuses on strengthening our infrastructure so businesses can
Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer (Md.) this week is unveiling his next step in the battle over voting rights in the form of a pop-up Web application that informs people where to vote and how to register.
"Recently, attacks on voters' rights in states across the country have threatened one of our most sacred constitutional rights - the ability for citizens to cast a ballot and make their voice heard. I am disheartened by these attempts to limit this right, which generations of Americans have fought to secure.
We wanted to make sure you saw this scathing Washington Post op-ed by Eugene Robinson that blasts Republicans for their blatant attempts to undermine Americans’ rights with restrictive voter ID laws. Under the false pretense of eliminating voter fraud, Republicans have been pursuing voter ID laws which would be especially harmful to voters that are from low
I join in applauding Thursday's ruling striking down Florida’s onerous law that had severely hindered civic organizations, teachers, and other groups from conducting voter registration drives. That law was an example of legislation currently on the books or proposed in a number of states to make it harder for eligible Americans to vote or register to vote – and which have disproportionately harmed minorities, the elderly, and young people.
Throughout our history, the most fundamental safeguard of liberty, equality and opportunity has always been the right to vote. Whenever that right was denied, Americans banded together to demand full inclusion in our democracy, from the rousing addresses of Maryland’s own Frederick Douglass to the marches for women’s suffrage, culminating with the Freedom Rides of the 1960s. Today, with a pivotal election just six months away, the right to vote is once again under threat from Republican-controlled state legislatures seeking to restrict access to the ballot.