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.
This week, House Democrats introduced the Voter Empowerment Act, comprehensive voting rights legislation that will modernize voter registration, ensure equal access to the ballot box for all Americans, and prohibit deceptive practices and voter fraud that keep people from exercising their constitutional right to vote.
John Lewis was our lead sponsor on this particular piece of legislation, joined by an awful lot of people on our side of the aisle representing majority groups and representing minority groups. What John Lewis was saying was: look, in America we ought to facilitate, encourage, and make easier voting. Not doing what is happening in so many states, Al, trying to make voting more difficult to do. We want to modernize registration, we want to have a responsibility of the state and local subdivision to make sure voters are on the registration rolls and make sure they are included. We want to make sure that people with disabilities have access to the polls.
From the Democratic Whip Press Shop:
Democrats are committed to ensuring that every eligible voter has access to the ballot and remain vigilant when it comes to efforts by Republican lawmakers in several states to impose new barriers to voting. Here’s a helpful roundup of some recent articles on cases of voter suppression around the country:
The exercise of this right is under threat again. Not from batons or water hoses but from those intent on hindering access to the ballot for the perverse purpose of manipulating elections. We cannot afford to allow access to the voting booth to be granted or denied based on political expediency.
House Democratic Whip Steny H. Hoyer (MD) discussed extending unemployment benefits and the payroll tax holiday, as well as GOP efforts to suppress voting rights, on The Bill Press Show today.
"With a crucial election less than one year away, I am very pleased Rep. Conyers held this forum today to examine the impact of new state measures that put the voting rights of millions of Americans at risk," said Whip Hoyer. "The right to vote is fundamental to our entire system of government and we must do everything in our power to ensure that every eligible American has the right to participate in our democracy and make their voices heard.”
Thank you, Rep. Conyers, for holding this important hearing. With the federal election just under a year away, the Committee is right to look into possible voter suppression taking place. The right to vote is fundamental to our entire system of government and the ability of every American to have his or her voice heard in Washington, in their statehouses, and in their local communities. That right is under threat today. Nationwide, state legislatures have been erecting barriers that deter or inhibit eligible voters from casting ballots. They are making it harder to vote by mandating certain forms of photo identification, which many current voters do not have and are time-consuming and expensive to obtain.
Democrats on Thursday ratcheted up efforts to combat new voting laws adopted by 13 states that Democrats contend are deliberate efforts to keep its core voting blocs from casting ballots next year.
Congressional Democrats are warning that state’s changes to voting laws may make it harder to cast election ballots — and are appealing to local officials to do something about it.