Voting Rights | Page 3 | The Office of Majority Leader Steny Hoyer

Voting Rights

Every election, Americans head to the polls to exercise their most fundamental right – the right to vote. Unfortunately, Republicans at the state and federal levels have engaged in an unprecedented attack on voting rights and our democracy, and embraced false conspiracy theories that undermine public confidence in our voting systems.

Every election, Americans head to the polls to exercise their most fundamental right – the right to vote. Unfortunately, Republicans at the state and federal levels have engaged in an unprecedented attack on voting rights and our democracy, and embraced false conspiracy theories that undermine public confidence in our voting systems.

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.

Voting Rights Related

Hoyer Statement on First Meeting of President Trump's Voter Commission

Today’s convening of President Trump’s new commission to suppress the vote represents a new low in Republicans’ partisan efforts to endanger Americans’ most fundamental right to participate equally in our democracy.

7/19/17

Hoyer, Brady Statement on Appropriations Committee’s Proposal to Terminate the Election Assistance Commission

The Appropriations Committee’s proposal to terminate the Election Assistance Commission (EAC) is reckless and irresponsible.

6/29/17

Lewis, Hoyer, Clyburn, Conyers and Brady Reintroduce Voter Empowerment Act

The struggle for voting access in America has been long and storied. It is not a right assured to every citizen.

6/23/17

Hoyer Remarks at Voting Rights Speak Out to Introduce the Voting Rights Advancement Act

Thank you very much. Some years ago, when the Republicans were in charge of Congress, I sponsored the Help America Vote Act as a result of the challenge that we had in Florida, and the 5 people elected the President of the United States, making the determination.

6/22/17

Hoyer, Brady Statement on the Importance of the Election Assistance Commission

If Russian operatives were successful in hacking into servers in thirty-nine states connected to voting systems and elections personnel, we ought to be very concerned about the security of future elections.

6/13/17

Hoyer Statement on Supreme Court Declining to Hear North Carolina Voter ID Case

Today’s decision by the Supreme Court not to revisit last year’s case against North Carolina’s 2013 voting changes ought to send a signal to Republican-led states that adopting tough voter-ID requirement and limitations on early voting and same-day registration will be seen for what they are: discriminatory measures intended to limit minorities’ access to the ballot box.

5/15/17

Hoyer Statement on President Trump's Election Commission

If the White House intends to create a commission to investigate voter suppression in this country, I hope its focus will be on the actual suppression of the voting rights of minorities, seniors, and students in states where Republican lawmakers have imposed barriers to ballot access since the terrible Shelby v. Holder Supreme Court ruling in 2013.

5/11/17

Hoyer Statement on Death of OSCE Paramedic in Eastern Ukraine

As a former Chairman of the Helsinki Commission, I was deeply saddened to learn of the killing of an American OSCE medic in eastern Ukraine from a mine placed by Russian-backed separatists.

4/23/17

Hoyer Statement on National Voter Registration Day

On National Voter Registration Day, it is important to remember that the right to register and vote was not always guaranteed or respected in our country.

9/27/16

Hoyer Statement on North Carolina Voter Identification Law

House Democratic Whip Steny H. Hoyer (MD) released the following statement today after the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit struck down North Carolina's discriminatory voter identification requirement.

7/29/16

Speaker Ryan Says He Backs New Voting Rights Protections, But Not Enough to Actually Act on Them

Yesterday, Speaker Paul Ryan had some alarming news for members of the Congressional Black Caucus – he supports legislation to restore the Voting Rights Act, but he isn’t willing to bring a bipartisan bill to the Floor. Apparently, he “can’t do that.”

2/4/16

Memo to Media: As the 114th Congress’s Second Session Begins, Speaker Ryan Must Choose: Play the Politics of Delay for a Year or Work with Democrats to Effect Bipartisan Results Now

As we begin the new year and the Second Session of the 114^th Congress, newly elected Speaker Paul Ryan has an opportunity to turn the page on the bitter partisanship of the past few years and show that he is willing to work across the aisle to get things done for the American people. The Wall Street Journal reported on Monday that “House Speaker Paul Ryan starting this month will push to turn the chamber into a platform for ambitious Republican policy ideas.” But evidence points to the contrary, with the first items on the House’s agenda for 2016 being the sixty-second vote to repeal or undermine the Affordable Care Act, the eleventh vote to attack women’s health, and several bills that would undermine consumer safety, workplace safety, and environmental protections. House Republican leaders know these bills will never become law, yet they continue to pander to the far right with political messaging bills instead of bringing substantive, bipartisan legislation to the Floor. It is also unfortunate that Speaker Ryan has already taken issues such as comprehensive immigration reform and an expansion of paid family and medical leave off of the table.

1/8/16

Meet the 2016 GOP, Same as Last Year’s GOP

As we begin the second session of the 114th Congress, there are a number of critical issues the American people expect to see Congress address.

1/5/16

Hoyer Statement on Rosa Parks Day and the Montgomery Bus Boycott

This week, I join in marking two important anniversaries that are milestones on our nation’s continuing march toward full equality for all.

12/1/15

Hoyer: Voting Rights Advancement Act Advances Our Democracy

WASHINGTON, DC – House Democratic Whip Steny H. Hoyer (MD) joined House Democratic leaders at a press conference today urging Congress to protect every American’s right to vote by passing the Voting Rights Advancement Act of 2015. Below is a transcript of his remarks:

“Thank you very much, Leader Pelosi. Thank you very much, Assistant Leader Clyburn. And thank you very much, Terri Sewell, the Representative of Selma, Alabama, which has been made so famous in the effort to make sure that everybody can vote.

11/3/15

Hoyer Statement on the 20th Anniversary of the Million Man March

Twenty years ago, the Million Man March raised the consciousness of our nation and made it clear that challenges affecting African Americans could not be ignored by policymakers in Washington.

10/16/15

Hoyer: Voting Rights Act Was One of the Most Important Achievements in the Twentieth Century and in All of American History

When the Voting Rights Act was passed, [Senator] Patrick Leahy and I were in law school just a few blocks from here at Georgetown Law School.

7/30/15

Hoyer: Two Years Ago the Equal Access of Every American to Vote Was Dealt a Serious Blow

Two years ago, the equal access of every American to vote in our elections was dealt a serious blow by the Supreme Court, which invalidated part of the landmark Voting Rights Act that Congress passed and President Johnson signed in the wake of “Bloody Sunday” and the Selma-to-Montgomery marches in 1965.

6/25/15

Hoyer Statement on House Democrats' Introduction of the Voting Rights Advancement Act

There is no more important act in our democracy than casting one’s vote and having one’s voice heard equally in our government, which is why I’m pleased that Reps. Terri Sewell, John Lewis, Linda Sanchez, and Judy Chu introduced legislation today to restore the voting rights protections struck down by the Supreme Court two years ago this week.

6/24/15

Statement

Hoyer: Congress Has the Responsibility to Act and Act Now to Restore the Voting Rights Act

Mr. Speaker, when the Supreme Court ruled in 2013 to invalidate the preclearance formula in the original Voting Rights Act, it issued a challenge to Congress to pass an updated one.

4/28/15

Hoyer, Clarke, House Democrats Send Letter to Senate Majority Leader McConnell Urging Loretta Lynch Confirmation Vote

There is no reason why the Senate cannot vote immediately on the confirmation of Loretta Lynch to be our nation's next Attorney General.

3/20/15

Lewis, Hoyer, Clyburn, Conyers and Brady Reintroduce Voter Empowerment Act

I’m pleased to be joining Civil Rights Movement hero Rep. John Lewis, Assistant Leader Clyburn, Ranking Member Conyers, and Ranking Member Brady today to reintroduce the Voter Empowerment Act.

3/19/15

Statement

Hoyer Remarks on "Bloody Sunday" Anniversary Pilgrimage

Mr. Speaker, I was proud to join many Members of this House in Birmingham, Selma, and Montgomery, Alabama, from March 6^th to 8^th to commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of ‘Bloody Sunday,’ which led inexorably to the signing of the Voting Rights Act in August of that same year in 1965.

3/17/15

Hoyer Remarks at 15th Congressional Civil Rights Pilgrimage Welcome Dinner

Thank you Saint John. What a wonderful experience this is for all of us. We owe [Representative] John [Lewis] and Doug [Tanner, Founder of the Faith & Politics Institute] for what they achieved in the past and for all that they continue to do today through the Faith & Politics Institute.

3/7/15