[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 166 (Wednesday, November 2, 2011)]
[House]
[Page H7219]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                           VOTER SUPPRESSION

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Georgia (Mr. Johnson) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, ladies and gentlemen, nothing is 
more fundamental in our democracy than the right to vote. 
Unfortunately, our right to vote is under attack.
  According to a new report by the Brennan Center for Justice, voter 
suppression laws in States across the country could affect up to 5 
million voters from traditionally Democratic demographics in 2012. It's 
no coincidence that this number is larger than the margin of victory in 
two of the last three Presidential elections.
  These voter ID laws do nothing more than discourage and block 
eligible voters, especially students, the poor, seniors, and 
minorities. These are Americans who tend to vote for Democrats.
  Recently, the media reported that a 96-year-old woman was denied a 
voter ID card in Chattanooga, Tennessee, because of one of these new 
laws. Her name is Dorothy Cooper, and she is a retired domestic worker. 
In fact, she was born in my home State of Georgia, and she relocated to 
Chattanooga so that she could find work. She could not get all the 
documents together, and so, therefore, her request for a government-
issued ID was denied.
  After Indiana's photo ID law was implemented, the media reported 
about a group of elderly nuns who lacked driver's licenses and current 
passports, and they were turned away from the polls. Unfortunately, if 
States continue to pass these restrictive and unnecessary voter ID 
laws, we will hear more of these stories.
  The Tea Party Republicans are trying to hijack our right to vote so 
that they can steal the 2012 election. I don't know about you, but I'm 
disgusted with Tea Party Republican attempts to use voter suppression 
laws to erode traditionally Democratic voters by blocking their access 
to the polls.
  These voter ID laws do not prevent fraud. In fact, they do nothing 
other than suppress voter turnout. America has not seen this level of 
suppression since the days of poll taxes and literacy tests.
  More than 30 States introduced legislation this year designed to 
impede voters at every step of the voting process. These laws do not 
combat fraud but prevent millions of hardworking, taxpaying Americans, 
especially minorities, young voters, the working poor, people with 
disabilities, and senior citizens from casting ballots in 2012 and 
beyond, making this the most significant setback to voting rights in a 
century.
  Photo ID restrictions disenfranchise eligible registered voters. An 
estimated 11 percent of U.S. citizens--21 million people--do not have 
current, government-issued photo ID's. While poll taxes were abolished 
more than 60 years ago, this new slew of voter ID laws is reminiscent 
of the days when poll taxes were required, days which none of us want 
to revisit.
  These Tea Party Republicans have been scheming from day one of 
President Obama's term in office to make sure that he's a one-term 
President. They want to take ``their'' country back. So State 
legislators, in accordance with this scheme, have passed a spate of 
laws specifically designed to block access to the ballot box by voters 
who tend to vote for Democrats. It's not fair, it's not right, and it's 
simply un-American.
  Ladies and gentlemen, now is the time for all good men and women to 
come to the aid of their country.

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