[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 104 (Wednesday, July 27, 2005)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1642-E1643]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




         THE 40TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE VOTING RIGHTS ACT OF 1965

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. CHARLES B. RANGEL

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, July 27, 2005

  Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize the significance of the 
Voting Rights Act of 1965. Next week will mark the fortieth anniversary 
of the passage of that historic act of Congress and there will be 
commemorations and remembrances of this anniversary throughout the 
nation, including a march in Atlanta being led by our colleague, the 
Honorable John Lewis--a civil rights legacy in his own right. While 
August 6th will signify prominent strides that this country has made in 
terms of equal rights, the 40th anniversary of the Act's passage will 
also highlight considerable room for improvement and work to truly 
guarantee that right to vote to all Americans.
  The Act is a reminder of the oppression suffered by the Black 
community between Reconstruction and the Civil Rights Movement that 
Blacks could be utterly denied the most basic constitutional right to 
vote without any recourse to assert and obtain that from any of the 
branches of the United States government, including the Judiciary. The 
right to vote is fundamental to political empowerment under our 
Constitution and democratic form of government. Its denial effectively 
deprived citizenship to African-Americans in the Jim Crow era.
  Despite the promises of the Fifteenth Amendment, most Black Americans 
were routinely denied the right to cast ballots in federal and state 
elections, particularly in the South. This denial was a function of 
both the state government and of local individuals determined to 
maintain their hold on political power in this country. It was another 
element of the fear and torture that existed throughout this country to 
intimidate and discourage Blacks from pursing their most basic rights 
in this country.
  Individuals were denied the opportunity through official and 
unofficial channels to cast their ballots. Literacy tests, poll taxes, 
grandfather clauses, and gerrymandering were but a few of the 
mechanisms used by the state to prevent Black Americans from voting and 
electing leaders to represent their interests while lynchings, threats 
and intimidations, and Ku Klux Klan marches asserted the will of bigots 
to oppose the equal treatment of all Americans.
  Faced with these startling realizations and a mobilized Black 
community, President Lyndon Johnson advocated for the Voting Rights Act

[[Page E1643]]

of 1965. Despite the perceived political disadvantages for himself and 
his party, Johnson's efforts were important to securing the rights of 
Black Americans throughout the country. His efforts opened the doors of 
electoral influence and power for Black Americans in this country.
  Thanks to the efforts of the Voting Rights Act, poll taxes that 
charged certain Americans for their right to vote were eliminated. 
Literacy tests which were selectively applied to Blacks were banned. 
Individuals who stood in polling sites intimidating minorities from 
voting were committing federal crimes. Federal agents were deployed to 
protect and guarantee the rights of these Americans to vote.
  Today, we can enjoy the fact that African-Americans, Hispanic 
Americans, and other minorities are guaranteed the right to vote in 
every state and federal election, that the legislative bodies of this 
country are more representative of the diversity of the nation than of 
the rich and powerful, and that the power of the people to elect their 
leaders is guaranteed in both the 15th Amendment and the Voting Rights 
Act.
  Nevertheless, Mr. Speaker, the right to vote--the most important 
obligation of our citizens--is not universal to our citizens. There 
remain a number of barriers to full voting rights of this country and 
this Congress should look into addressing those challenges when we 
renew the Voting Rights Act next year. Some of these barriers are 
intentional; others less so. Regardless, the right to vote should be 
undeniable to a democracy's citizens. It should be undeniable to the 
citizens of the United States.
  As we approach the 40th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act, an 
ever-increasing number of Americans are being permanently denied their 
right to vote in federal elections for their past criminal behavior. 
Based on Justice Department figures from 2000, an estimated 1.6 million 
ex-offenders in 14 states are denied the right to vote after paying 
their debt to society. These ex-offenders are continually denied their 
right to cast votes for these past actions. We should allow these 
individuals who have fulfilled their sentences to vote in federal 
elections.
  Purging of voting records, targeting and intimidation in minority 
voting sites, the absence of reliable voting machines, circulation of 
false and misleading information, and long lines in polling sites have 
all been recent examples of the challenges to creating a fair and 
justice electoral system. There is clearly more work that needs to be 
done and I look forward to working with my colleagues in securing 
legislation that will tackle this challenge.
  For today, we can look back on the hopes and promises of a more open 
society and see the fruits of our labor: A citizenry that participates 
at all levels, a Congress that reflects and represents the country's 
diversity, and a country that is opening doors and opportunities for 
the voices of all Americans. Tomorrow, we should take up the challenges 
of opening this society even more to the inclusion of all our citizens.

                          ____________________