[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 45 (Tuesday, March 17, 2015)]
[House]
[Page H1668]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE MARCH IN SELMA

  (Mrs. DAVIS of California asked and was given permission to address 
the House for 1 minute.)
  Mrs. DAVIS of California. Mr. Speaker, what an occasion and privilege 
it was to mark the 50th anniversary of the march in Selma. As my friend 
and hero Congressman John Lewis said: ``Selma is more than a place, it 
is the realization of an idea.''
  Selma showed us that true empowerment begins with voting rights. 
After 50 years of progress, the Supreme Court has rolled back the 
Voting Rights Act, one of the most effective laws ever passed. Now, 
House leadership is saying parts of the VRA are ``not necessary.'' 
Literacy tests may be relics of the past but only because of the VRA.
  Some States have replaced old overt forms of voter disenfranchisement 
with more subtle forms of voter suppression through registration, 
through redistricting, and voting itself. States need to stop holding 
people back from voting, and Congress must hold States accountable. The 
Court may not have done the right thing, but surely Congress can.
  Let's restore the VRA and better the voting process for all voters.

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