[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 28 (Tuesday, February 23, 2016)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E201]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                            RESTORE THE VOTE

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. TERRI A. SEWELL

                               of alabama

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, February 23, 2016

  Ms. SEWELL of Alabama. Mr. Speaker, today I rise on 
#RestorationTuesday to honor the foot soldiers of the Voting Rights 
Movement. On March 7th of last year, while aboard Air Force One en 
route to Selma for the 50th Anniversary of Bloody Sunday, President 
Obama signed the legislation I introduced to award the Congressional 
Gold Medal to the Foot Soldiers who participated in Bloody Sunday, 
Turnaround Tuesday, and the final Selma to Montgomery Voting Rights 
Marches in 1965.
   On that day, 50 years after the march, thousands of grateful 
Americans gathered in my hometown to celebrate and honor the brave foot 
soldiers and all they sacrificed in pursuit of equality, justice, and 
voting rights. Democrats stood side by side with Republicans, and the 
first African American President in our nation's history stood next to 
President George W. Bush who reauthorized the Voting Rights Act just 
nine years earlier. On that day, we shed our party loyalties and came 
together as Americans.
   Sadly, I stand on the floor of the House almost one year later, and 
Republicans continue to refuse to bring legislation to restore voting 
rights to the floor for a simple up or down vote. The progress that was 
paid for with the blood of the foot soldiers is being rolled back, and 
Congress has done nothing.
   Tomorrow, Republicans and Democrats will come together again, this 
time in our Nation's Capitol, to award the Congressional Gold Medal to 
the foot soldiers who showed such bravery 50 years ago. They deserve to 
be recognized by our country's leaders, but this Congress should be 
giving them much more than a medal. They should protect the sacred 
voting rights that these brave men and women marched for 50 years ago.
   As we are joined tomorrow by the foot soldiers of the Civil Rights 
Movement, I beg my colleagues to reflect on the sacrifice they made, as 
well as the ideals they fought for. These heroic everyday Americans 
were confronted with violence and injustice, but were not discouraged 
from fighting for their God given rights. I hope that their presence 
can inspire every member of this Congress to #RestoreTheVote.

                          ____________________