[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 112 (Wednesday, July 31, 2013)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6103-S6104]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
VOTING RIGHTS ACT
Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, nearly 50 years ago, Martin Luther King,
Jr., gave his historic ``I Have a Dream'' speech in front of hundreds
of thousands of people on the National Mall. At the time, I was
entering my last year of law school. I was inspired by the March on
Washington and knew that history was being made before my very eyes.
The youngest speaker at the March was a compelling man by the name of
John Lewis. Many spoke of their unyielding support for civil rights
legislation, but John Lewis demanded more. He demanded that the civil
rights bill protect the right of every American to vote free from
discrimination. With his strong and forceful voice, he proclaimed that
``One man, one vote is the African cry. It is ours too. It must be
ours.''
A year and a half later, John Lewis would lead another march across
the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, AL. There, State troopers brutally
beat, bloodied, and trampled John Lewis and the group of peaceful
marchers he led. Those powerful images from ``Bloody Sunday'' were
captured on television and in vivid photographs, and would become a
catalyst for the passage of the Voting Rights Act. When President
Lyndon Johnson signed the act into law several months later, he
fittingly gave one of the pens to John Lewis.
The Voting Rights Act has become the most successful piece of civil
rights legislation in this Nation's history. It has worked to protect
the Constitution's guarantees against racial discrimination in voting
for nearly five decades. It has helped minorities of all races overcome
major barriers to participation in the political process, through the
use of such devices as poll taxes, intimidation by voting officials,
registration and language barriers, and systematic vote dilution.
Despite the continuing evidence of racial discrimination in voting
that Congress amassed in 2006, the Supreme Court recently issued a
ruling that makes it more difficult to protect all Americans in
exercising their sacred right to vote. In Shelby County v. Holder, a
narrow majority of the Supreme Court held that the coverage formula for
section 5 of the Voting Rights Act was unconstitutional. Section 5
provides a remedy for unconstitutional discrimination in voting by
requiring certain jurisdictions with a history of discrimination to
``pre-clear'' all voting changes before they can take effect. This
remedy is both necessary and important because it stops the
discriminatory voting practice before our fellow Americans' rights are
violated. By striking down the coverage formula for section 5, the
Court's ruling leaves this effective protection unenforceable.
Two weeks ago, I began a bipartisan conversation to restore the
protections of the Voting Rights Act when I chaired a hearing before
the Senate Judiciary Committee. The hearing included meaningful
testimony from John Lewis and Jim Sensenbrenner. Both agreed that
protecting the right to vote from discriminatory practices is neither a
Democratic issue nor a Republican issue. It is an American issue.
At this hearing, Republican City Commissioner Luz Urbaez Weinberg of
Aventura, FL, also testified to the need to restore the protections of
section 5 of the Voting Rights Act. She urged Congress to demonstrate a
``clear and principled commitment to equal voting rights for all
Americans regardless of race, language spoken, and to also act swiftly
to restore the protections.'' Moreover, she made clear that maintaining
the Voting Rights Act ``is not a partisan issue. It is a nonpartisan
issue. It is an issue for all Americans. Whether Republicans or
Democrats, all Americans strongly believe in fair and equal electoral
opportunities.''
It is true that America has made a lot of progress since the Voting
Rights Act was first enacted. Nobody denies this. But we are far from
achieving the dream that Dr. King spoke of on that
[[Page S6104]]
magnificent day in August of 1963. Although the Supreme Court struck
down the coverage formula in the Shelby County case, the Justices
acknowledged, as they must and as the American people recognize, that
discrimination in voting continues to be a problem. As the Chief
Justice rightly noted in the majority opinion, ``voting discrimination
still exists; no one doubts that.'' The question only remains how best
to protect Americans against this discrimination.
This is an issue on which Republicans and Democrats have always come
together on. Every reauthorization of the Voting Rights Act, including
its initial passage, has been marked by the overwhelming support of
lawmakers of both parties. In the last few weeks, I have heard people
say that Congress is too gridlocked and will not act on voting rights.
That is wrong and it is unsupported by our tradition of leadership on
this issue. As my friend Senator Grassley said at the Senate Judiciary
Committee voting rights hearing I chaired 2 weeks ago, ``Cynicism and
defeatism have never before characterized reauthorization of the Voting
Rights Act.'' Senator Grassley is right. History shows that we have
reauthorized the act time and again because it is a nonpartisan issue.
Those who forecast failure also underestimate what a person like John
Lewis can accomplish. I, for one, would never underestimate John
Lewis's tenacity and ability to bring people together.
The Supreme Court's ruling last month was a setback to the cause of
equality. However, we should see it as a calling for Congress to come
together to meet the voting discrimination which persists with a
steadfast resolve. It is up to us to meet this challenge. We must work
together as a Congress--not as Democrats or Republicans, but as
Americans--to ensure that we protect against racial discrimination in
voting. We can only do that with a strong Voting Rights Act.
Earlier today, at the bipartisan and bicameral event marking the 50th
Anniversary of the March on Washington in Statuary Hall, John Lewis
said, ``We have come a great distance but we are not finished yet.'' I
could not agree more. Let us continue to work to protect the
fundamental right to vote for all Americans.
Ms. MIKULSKI. Mr. President, I rise today to speak on an important
anniversary in our country. In just a few weeks, we will commemorate
the 50th anniversary of the famous March on Washington. On August 28,
1963, we marched. We marched for jobs, for justice, for the economy,
and for freedom.
I remember that march. I was getting ready to go back to school.
Baltimore was a staging location, and many social workers helped as
marchers came down from New York and Pennsylvania. These determined
individuals--a diverse group--all with a story and a cause, made up the
nearly 250,000 people who marched that day. It was an important
testament to the power of a collective voice, one in support of equal
rights and treatment of all. And it was this collective voice that
helped lead to the passage of the Civil Rights Act and the Voting
Rights Act.
We have had many victories, and made much progress in ensuring
equality for all. We have elected a Black President to the White House,
passed the Lily Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, repealed DOMA and Don't Ask
Don't Tell. We have accomplished so much, but we still have so far to
go. The fight for civil rights is far from over. Racial, religious and
gender violence continues in our streets and in our homes. Voters
rights have been threatened by the recent Supreme Court decision,
leaving Americans vulnerable to prejudice and intimidation. And so we
find ourselves, 50 years later, fighting many of the same fights.
We need to reclaim that bill of rights, and not let any court
decision take it away from us. They are chopping away at the Voting
Rights Act, but let's change the law if we have to. Let us march for
our liberties and the people who were there, and said ``ain't I a
man'', later calling on the words ``ain't I a woman''.
So it is important now more than ever to hold that dream of Dr. King
in our hearts. Let's remember the history that was written here 50
years ago. And just as we marched then, we need to march today.
Together we can end injustice. Together we can break down barriers to
equality, so that all people regardless of race, faith or gender can
live in a country that never promised anything less than their
undeniable rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
____________________