[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 751 Introduced in House (IH)]

<DOC>






115th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. RES. 751

Calling on Congress to enact a new preclearance formula for the Voting 
  Rights Act of 1965 and condemning voter suppression laws enacted by 
                   States and political subdivisions.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           February 26, 2018

 Ms. Norton submitted the following resolution; which was referred to 
                     the Committee on the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
Calling on Congress to enact a new preclearance formula for the Voting 
  Rights Act of 1965 and condemning voter suppression laws enacted by 
                   States and political subdivisions.

Whereas the ratification of the 15th Amendment in 1870 affirms that voting 
        rights cannot be denied to citizens on the basis of race;
Whereas post-Reconstruction Jim Crow laws severely restricted minority voting 
        rights, particularly those of African Americans;
Whereas the Voting Rights Act of 1965 contributed to a significant increase in 
        voter registration and participation by African Americans and other 
        minorities;
Whereas the Supreme Court's 2013 decision in Shelby County v. Holder struck down 
        section 4(b) of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, the coverage provision of 
        the law that identified States and political subdivisions with a chronic 
        history of passing restrictive voting laws;
Whereas the Shelby County decision effectively immobilized section 5 of the 
        Voting Rights Act of 1965, which allowed the Department of Justice and 
        Federal courts to ``preclear'' any proposed changes to voting rules, 
        allowing a preemptive strike of unjust and discriminatory voting laws in 
        the regions identified by section 4(b);
Whereas the absence of this preclearance requirement has allowed for voter 
        suppression laws to proliferate by permitting States and political 
        subdivisions to pass restrictive voting laws without Federal 
        preclearance to determine if the laws are racially discriminatory;
Whereas following the Shelby County decision, at least 17 States had voting 
        restrictions in place for the first time in a Presidential election in 
        time for the 2016 contest;
Whereas approximately 11 percent of American citizens lack government-issued 
        photo identification, and a disproportionate number are low-income, 
        elderly, or people of color;
Whereas African Americans are as much as 305 percent and Latinos are as much as 
        195 percent more likely than Whites to lack acceptable identification 
        required to vote;
Whereas since the Shelby County decision, at least 4 States have reduced early 
        voting access;
Whereas restricting early voting disproportionately affects people of color, 
        low-income citizens, and the elderly, who often rely on flexible, early 
        voting periods;
Whereas many voting-eligible, low-income Latino voters are naturalized United 
        States citizens who lack proof of citizenship and cannot afford a 
        Certificate of Citizenship or a Replacement Certificate of 
        Naturalization, which cost $1,170 and $555, respectively;
Whereas since the Shelby County decision, at least 2 States have imposed more 
        stringent requirements on nongovernmental organizations that help 
        register and engage citizens in voter participation;
Whereas restricting nongovernmental voter participation organizations directly 
        affects people of color, low-income citizens, and the elderly, as these 
        organizations are particularly likely to reach and engage these 
        populations;
Whereas since the Shelby County decision, at least 5 States have passed laws 
        making it more difficult to vote by absentee ballot;
Whereas reducing absentee voting disproportionately affects low-income, minority 
        voters, who are more likely than other citizens to have inflexible work- 
        and childcare-related schedules;
Whereas since the Shelby County decision, at least 4 States have maintained 
        voter laws denying returning citizens or former felons the right to 
        vote;
Whereas in addition to State-level voter suppression laws, political 
        subdivisions have also passed new laws that suppress minority voters, 
        including reducing the number of polling places and offering 
        insufficient language assistance for non-English-speaking voters;
Whereas following the Shelby County decision, there were at least 868 fewer 
        polling places in the 2016 election than in past elections, representing 
        a 16 percent reduction;
Whereas insufficient language assistance at polling places could possibly 
        threaten eligible Latino voter turnout in the 2018 midterm elections;
Whereas since the Shelby County decision, courts have struck down restrictive 
        voting laws in at least 4 States, demonstrating the discriminatory 
        nature of voting restrictions that have proliferated post-Shelby County;
Whereas had a preclearance formula been in effect, the Department of Justice and 
        Federal courts would have been able to prevent discriminatory voter 
        suppression laws from being passed; and
Whereas many unjust voter laws that were passed or went into effect after the 
        Shelby County decision threaten to affect a significant number of 
        minority voters in the upcoming midterm elections: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) calls on Congress to enact a new preclearance formula 
        for the Voting Rights Act of 1965, based on the Voting Rights 
        Amendment Act (H.R. 3899, One Hundred Thirteenth Congress) and 
        the Voting Rights Advancement Act (H.R. 2867, One Hundred 
        Fourteenth Congress); and
            (2) condemns the use by States and political subdivisions 
        of the voter suppression laws and techniques described in the 
        preamble of this resolution.
                                 <all>