[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 758 Introduced in House (IH)]

112th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. RES. 758

        Designating a ``National Month of Voter Registration''.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             August 2, 2012

    Mr. Conyers (for himself, Mr. Hoyer, Mr. Clyburn, Mr. Brady of 
   Pennsylvania, Mr. Nadler, Mr. Larson of Connecticut, Ms. Chu, Mr. 
Bishop of Georgia, Ms. Brown of Florida, Mr. Butterfield, Mr. Carson of 
  Indiana, Mr. Clarke of Michigan, Ms. Clarke of New York, Mr. Cohen, 
 Mrs. Davis of California, Mr. Deutch, Mr. Filner, Ms. Fudge, Mr. Gene 
   Green of Texas, Mr. Gutierrez, Ms. Hahn, Mr. Honda, Mr. Holt, Mr. 
 Israel, Ms. Jackson Lee of Texas, Ms. Eddie Bernice Johnson of Texas, 
   Mr. Johnson of Georgia, Mr. Lewis of Georgia, Ms. Zoe Lofgren of 
California, Mr. McGovern, Ms. Moore, Mr. Peters, Ms. Pingree of Maine, 
   Ms. Richardson, Mr. Rush, Ms. Linda T. Sanchez of California, Ms. 
Schwartz, Mr. Scott of Virginia, Mr. Serrano, Ms. Slaughter, Mr. Smith 
of Washington, Mr. Towns, Ms. Wasserman Schultz, Ms. Wilson of Florida, 
    and Mr. Grijalva) submitted the following resolution; which was 
      referred to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
        Designating a ``National Month of Voter Registration''.

Whereas the United States has overcome the stains of State-sponsored voting 
        discrimination, which included State voting qualifications such as 
        property ownership, religious qualifications, grandfather clauses, poll 
        taxes, and literacy tests, designed to exclude from voting racial 
        minorities, poorer voters, and certain religious groups;
Whereas the courts have struck down these State practices because the State laws 
        conflict with the Constitution;
Whereas the Congress has continuously moved to expand the franchise of voting;
Whereas the 13th amendment, the 14th amendment, the 15th amendment, the 19th 
        amendment, the 23d Amendment, the 24th amendment, and the 26th amendment 
        were enacted by Congress to protect minorities, poorer voters, women, 
        the elderly, and youth from voting discrimination;
Whereas in 1965, the Congress passed the Voting Rights Act in order to remedy 
        past discrimination in voting and protect vulnerable citizens from 
        practices that infringe on the right to vote or elect a candidate of 
        their choice;
Whereas in 1993, the Congress passed the National Voter Registration Act to 
        declare protections around the voting process, increase the number of 
        citizens who register to vote, and encourage governments to protect the 
        integrity of the electoral process;
Whereas in 2002, in response to the controversy surrounding the 2000 
        Presidential Election, the Congress passed the Help America Vote Act 
        that provided new standards for voting systems, created an independent 
        Commission to assist with the administration of Federal Elections, and 
        established minimum standards for States and local governments who 
        administer Federal elections;
Whereas the Congress reauthorized the Voting Rights Act five times, most 
        recently in 2006, recognizing the need for continued enforcement against 
        State practices in voting that discriminate or disenfranchise vulnerable 
        citizens;
Whereas since 2010, some States have enacted voting changes that are reminiscent 
        of historic State-sponsored voting discrimination;
Whereas some States have already disenfranchised some American youth, elderly 
        citizens, and former Members of Congress through strict voting changes;
Whereas some States still continue to disenfranchise American citizens living 
        and working in our communities with past criminal convictions;
Whereas Members of Congress and notable civil rights organizations have studied 
        these laws and calculated that they will have a grave impact on millions 
        of voting eligible minority, elderly, youth, and poor voters seeking to 
        register to vote and vote on election day;
Whereas since March 12, 2012, two State courts in Wisconsin have ruled that 
        Wisconsin's voter ID law was ``unconstitutional'' under Wisconsin law, 
        holding that ``a government that undermines the very foundation of its 
        existence--the people's inherent, pre-constitutional right to vote--
        imperils its legitimacy as a government by the people, for the people, 
        and especially of the people'';
Whereas representatives and political leaders in States like New Hampshire, 
        Pennsylvania, and Florida have made public admissions about how certain 
        laws in their States were designed to put a dent in the democratic 
        process;
Whereas without a response from the Congress, millions of American voters may be 
        subjected to State actions that will harm the franchise;
Whereas the month of September would be an appropriate month to commemorate a 
        national focus on the importance of every citizen being registered and 
        empowered to vote;
Whereas every voting eligible citizen should, during the month of September, 
        register to vote, verify that their name, address, and other personal 
        information matches what is on record at their State or local board of 
        elections, confirm that they have everything in hand that is required on 
        election day to vote, and confirm the polling place they will be voting 
        at in November; and
Whereas States should abolish all restrictive forms of voter ID that 
        disenfranchise vulnerable voting eligible citizens, comply with the 
        National Voter Registration Act and protect the voting rights of public 
        assistance and disability clients during an economic downturn; and stop 
        misguided, discriminatory, and inaccurate purging programs that have the 
        risk of purging eligible citizen voters: Now, therefore be it
    Resolved, That there be designated a ``National Month of Voter 
Registration'' to encourage every voting age citizen to register to 
vote, confirm their voting information is correct with their local 
board of elections, confirm they have everything in hand that is 
required on election day to vote, and to confirm their polling place 
for election day. The President is authorized and requested to issue a 
proclamation for each of these months, calling upon the people of the 
United States to observe those months with appropriate programs, 
ceremonies, and activities.
                                 <all>