[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 94 (Tuesday, June 14, 2016)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E913]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  WHAT KIND OF HISTORY SHOULD WE MAKE?

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                          HON. TERRI A. SEWELL

                               of alabama

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, June 14, 2016

  Ms. SEWELL of Alabama. Mr. Speaker, today on this Restoration 
Tuesday, I rise to acknowledge the continued voter suppression around 
the country during this election year and the ongoing battle for 
protection of the constitutional right to vote.
   This Restoration Tuesday is particularly special, as it is the last 
primary vote. At the closing of the polls, we will officially be 
embarking on the first general election in 50 years without the full 
protection of the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
   Countless Americans gathered together in the years up to the passing 
of the historic legislation that banned discrimination in voting polls, 
and solidified voting equality. Backpedaling into times of racial 
disparity in the voting process is a dangerous course of action that we 
should refrain from venturing into. We are currently defacing the 
legacy of those who gave up their lives in order to secure equal 
representation in the voting booth.
   It is imperative that we rally together and Restore The Vote. We 
cannot allow this presidential election to greet us without being 
protected against those who wish to slant the election through harsh 
voting laws. It is the right of every eligible American to cast a 
ballot in the favor of their interests without hurdles being placed in 
their path. Through the passage of the Voting Rights Advancement Act of 
2015, we will be able to complete the order handed down to us by the 
Supreme Court of the United States. We will be able to recreate the 
safe haven in voting, where everyone feels entitled and able to 
exercise their democratic right. I ask my colleagues to join me in 
support of the Voting Rights Advancement of 2015 so that we can make 
the democratic process democratic again.

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