[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 45 (Tuesday, March 22, 2016)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E356]
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, March 22, 2016

  Ms. SEWELL of Alabama. Mr. Speaker, I rise to acknowledge today as 
Restoration Tuesday and to honor the role of the brave men and women 
who fought in the ongoing battle to protect our most sacred 
constitutional right, the right to vote.
   Today, 51 years ago, courageous men and women stood tall and moved 
forward on what would be the final march of the peaceful protest 
marches from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama in March of 1965. This final 
march only occurred after countless Americans were left beaten, bloody 
and bruised on ``Bloody Sunday'' in pursuit of their fundamental 
right--the right to have their voices heard and their vote counted. The 
Voting Rights Act of 1965 would never have been possible without their 
sacrifices; but still today old battles have become anew and the 
struggle for equal voting rights continues.
   It is reprehensible that still in 2016, Americans across the nation 
continue to face modern day barriers to the ballot box. A number of 
states, including Alabama, quickly passed restrictive laws designed to 
suppress the vote after the Supreme Court struck down Section 4 pre-
clearance and federal protection for vulnerable communities in 2013. 
The Voting Rights Act of 1965 was reauthorized nearly a decade ago and 
it is shameful that still today, people across the nation do not enjoy 
full and free access to exercise their right to vote. The time is 
always right to do what is right. As we continue to progress throughout 
this election year, it is especially critical that all Americans have 
fair and equal access to the ballot box. Our very democracy is built on 
the ability of every citizen being able to have their voices heard and 
vote counted.
   We must learn from the lessons of the past and honor those who 
sacrificed for our nation's progress. Just recently, I introduced 
legislation to honor voting rights icon, Amelia Boynton Robinson, by 
renaming the Selma, Alabama post office in her honor. Mrs. Boynton 
Robinson was a voting rights hero and one of the Foot Soldiers on the 
front lines of the 1965 voting rights marches. She made the clear and 
compelling statement through her campaign motto when running for 
Congress as the first woman from the State of Alabama that ``A Voteless 
People Is A Hopeless People.'' We cannot continue to repeat the errors 
of the past. Amelia Boynton Robinson, like so many others literally 
shed blood for the right to vote. Fifty-one years later, no one should 
have to face violence or shed blood for a fundamental right.
   Also, just today I introduced legislation to designate several civil 
rights and voting rights sites in Birmingham, AL as a national park in 
order to commemorate their historical significance. While these pieces 
of legislation are important gestures, the best way to commemorate and 
recognize their legacy is to pass meaningful voting rights legislation 
that would restore key provisions of the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
   Now is the time. Congress must act. The American people cannot wait 
any longer. On this Restoration Tuesday, we honor the men and women who 
stood for our fundamental right and take up the cause to continue the 
fight. The right to vote is worth fighting for and we must fight until 
the battle is won.
   We must Restore the Vote.

                          ____________________