[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 43 (Thursday, April 6, 2006)]
[House]
[Page H1628]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    DISPLACED VOTERS IN NEW ORLEANS

  (Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas asked and was given permission to address 
the House for 1 minute.)
  Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, today the Attorney General 
appeared in the hearing of the Judiciary Committee for an oversight 
hearing, and we raised the question again about the protection of those 
displaced voters in New Orleans who have now the responsibility of 
casting their vote for a local election.
  Ordinarily, Mr. Speaker, we would ask the involvement of the Federal 
Government, but the Voting Rights Act, section 2 in particular, 
guarantees protection of certain States and persons of the right to 
vote. Therefore, we cannot understand why the Justice Department 
precleared a system that will not work.
  Today I have introduced with 42 cosponsors legislation to express the 
sense of Congress that the State of Louisiana and the Department of 
Justice must create outside satellite voting for the more than hundreds 
of thousands of displaced, disheartened Louisianans who have no way of 
going back to their home State at this time to be able to cast their 
vote for their city. They are, in essence, trying to come home. But 
with the little resources they have, today they cannot head home to 
cast a vote.
  I hope the Attorney General and the State of Louisiana understand the 
Voting Rights Act and create outside satellite voting so that we can 
have the constitutional right to vote.

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