Post by bot on Aug 9, 2015 14:35:34 GMT -5
Hoyer Statement on the 50th Anniversary of the Voting Rights Act
WASHINGTON, DC - House Democratic Whip Steny H. Hoyer (MD) released the following statement in recognition of the 50th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act being signed into law:
“Today marks the fiftieth anniversary of the Voting Rights Act – one of the most important civil rights achievements in our nation’s history. Following years of discrimination against African Americans and their disenfranchisement, the Voting Rights Act restored and renewed our democracy by enabling Americans from every walk of life to exercise their most fundamental right – the right to vote. Today, half a century later, we must recognize this pivotal moment and honor the brave men and women, including my good friend Congressman John Lewis, who marched from Selma to Montgomery – and advocated in countless other ways – for equal access to the ballot box. Our vote is our voice, and it remains the surest guarantee of our liberty and of the equal justice and equal opportunity that our Founders intended this nation to exemplify.
“The best way to celebrate this milestone anniversary is by working to restore the protections from the Voting Rights Act that were struck down by the Supreme Court in Shelby v. Holder two years ago. In the wake of that decision, state and local officials in jurisdictions that the Shelby decision directly affected have been rushing to implement new rules to restrict access to the ballot box that could never withstand federal scrutiny. There can be no doubt that the Voting Rights Act, as it was originally conceived in 1965 and as it was reauthorized in 2006, is as relevant and necessary today as it has ever been, and I am proud to be working with other House Democrats to advance legislation that would restore its full protections so that the victories of the Civil Rights Movement can be sustained – and built upon for the benefit of future generations.”
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