[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 93 (Monday, July 17, 2006)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1418]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




FANNIE LOU HAMER, ROSA PARKS, AND CORETTA SCOTT KING VOTING RIGHTS ACT 
               REAUTHORIZATION AND AMENDMENTS ACT OF 2006

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                             HON. AL GREEN

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, July 13, 2006

       The House in Committee of the Whole House on the State of 
     the Union had under consideration the bill (H.R. 9) to amend 
     the Voting Rights Act of 1965:

  Mr. AL GREEN of Texas. Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of equality, 
non-discrimination, and the full participation in our society by all 
Americans. I rise in support of reauthorizing the Voting Rights Act of 
1965.
  Voting is the most important tool Americans have to influence 
government policies that affect every aspect of our lives. It affects: 
the types of schools our children attend, the quality of our health 
care, the decision whether to send our sons and daughters to fight and 
die in a foreign land.
  The right to vote is the foundation of our democracy. The Voting 
Rights Act provides the legal basis to protect this right for all 
Americans.
  On the eve of the 41st anniversary of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, 
we cannot overstate the impact that this landmark piece of legislation 
has had on the face of this Nation.
  Before passage of the Voting Rights Act we had 300 African-American 
elected officials. We now have more than 9,100.
  Before passage of section 203 of the Voting Rights Act, we had 1,200 
Latino elected officials. We now have more than 6,000.
  We now have hundreds more Asian-Americans and Native Americans 
serving as elected officials.
  The Voting Rights Act was enacted in response to our Nation's long 
history of discrimination. But the critical moment leading to the VRA's 
passage occurred in March 1965 on a bridge outside Selma, AL.
  On March 7, 1965, voting rights supporters planned a march from Selma 
to the State capitol in Montgomery to present then-Governor George 
Wallace with a list of grievances. They were stopped on the Edmund 
Pettus Bridge in Selma by State troopers and sheriff's deputies on 
horseback who, in front of television cameras, attacked the more than 
500 demonstrators by firing toxic tear gas, charging the marchers, and 
beating people with clubs and whips.
  Eight days after ``Bloody Sunday,'' President Lyndon Johnson 
addressed a special joint session of Congress before a national 
television audience and said that:

       Experience has clearly shown that the existing process of 
     law cannot overcome systematic and ingenious discrimination. 
     No law that we now have on the books . . . can ensure the 
     right to vote when local officials are determined to deny it 
     . . . This time, on this issue, there must be no delay, no 
     hesitation and no compromise with our purpose . . .''

  By August 6, 1965, Congress had passed the Voting Rights Act by an 
overwhelming majority and President Johnson had signed it into law.
  The VRA not only abolished literacy and other tests which had been 
used to deny African Americans and other minorities the right to vote, 
it also prohibited ``covered jurisdictions'' from implementing new 
voting practices without first pre-clearing them with Federal 
officials.
  And when the act was expanded and strengthened in 1975 to include 
protections for language minorities who had suffered systematic 
exclusion from the political process, Latinos, Asian-Americans, Native 
Americans and Alaskan Natives also gained new tools to ensure 
fundamental fairness in the voting process.
  Most of the provisions of the VRA are permanent, but some will expire 
next year if they are not renewed. The expiring sections include:
  Section 5, which requires covered jurisdictions to obtain 
``preclearance'' from the Justice Department or the U.S. District Court 
in DC before they can change voting practices or procedures.
  Section 203, which requires election officials to provide written and 
oral assistance for certain citizens who have limited English 
proficiency.
  Sections 6-9, which authorize the U.S. Attorney General to appoint 
examiners and send Federal observers to monitor elections when there is 
evidence to suggest voter intimidation at the polls.
  While the days of discrimination in the form of literacy tests and 
poll taxes may be over, it is clear that voter inequities, disparities, 
and obstacles still remain for far too many minority voters.
  In Harris County, TX, citizens of Vietnamese descent are under the 
protection of the VRA. Because of this, under the language assistance 
provisions of the VRA, Harris County is required to:
  Provide election information including ballots and registration 
information in Vietnamese, as well as English and Spanish.
  Ensure that there are adequate bilingual poll workers to meet the 
needs of the language minority communities.
  In 2003, Harris County election officials failed to comply with this 
law.
  Pressure from the Asian American Legal Center of Texas, the Asian 
American Justice Center, and the Justice Department resulted in an 
agreement whereby the county agreed to ensure compliance with the 
language provisions of the VRA in the future.
  As a result of these changes, in the November 2004 election, Hubert 
Vo became the first Vietnamese candidate ever to win a seat on the 
Texas Legislature.
  Mr. Chairman, everyone's right to vote is at risk when anyone's right 
to vote is denied. The Voting Rights Act is good for minorities and 
great for America.




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