[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 41 (Thursday, March 7, 2019)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1719-S1720]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                             VOTING RIGHTS

  Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, on another matter, voting rights, today 
marks the 54th anniversary of Bloody Sunday, the protest march in 
Selma, AL, that led ultimately to the passage of the Voting Rights Act.
  It was one of the most noble acts in American history. The courage of 
those who marched across that bridge, including our colleague,   John 
Lewis, will be remembered centuries from now. It is a reminder that one 
thread of the American story is about how, despite our founding, our 
democratic principles, there has been a long march toward achieving the 
franchise.
  We had democratic principles in the beginning. It was brand new. It 
was great, but remember, in 1789, in almost every State, the only 
people who could vote were White, male, Protestant property owners. I 
would imagine that would probably leave out even a majority in this 
Chamber who would be able to vote.
  We have to keep improving that democracy. No one says we should only 
have White, male, Protestant property owners vote today because it was 
true in 1789. We have to move forward. We have to make voting more 
available and easier because the right to vote, without barriers, is 
what our soldiers, for centuries, have died for and what the people on 
that bridge marched for.
  The march is still not over. In the wake of the disaster that was the 
Supreme Court's Shelby decision, 19 States rushed to pass 
discriminatory voter restrictions.
  In North Carolina, the Republican State legislature drew up laws that 
``targeted African Americans with almost surgical precision.'' How 
despicable. How despicable that the Republican legislature did that. 
Those are not my words; those are the court's words after looking at 
the evidence.
  Fifty million Americans are now not registered to vote. Even though 
we don't talk about it enough, we have a population larger than two 
States living here in Washington, DC, without full congressional 
representation. We Democrats are ready to work.
  Again, Leader McConnell gets up, and he talks about all of this 
negativity, exaggeration, hyping, and scaring just like Donald Trump. 
Why doesn't Leader McConnell put some legislation on the floor? Today, 
on the anniversary of Bloody Sunday, I want to mention three things we 
could do right now to bolster voting rights: one, undo the damage of 
the Shelby County decision by restoring the formula for preclearance; 
two, automatic voter registration; three, DC statehood.
  Anyone who has been observing the floor of the Senate will have 
noticed by now just how vociferously our Republican leader opposes H.R. 
1, which, among other things, would make election day a Federal holiday 
and attempt to get Big Money out of politics. Leader McConnell has gone 
on to call these ideas a power grab, labeling the bill the Democratic 
politician protection Act.
  Leader McConnell, we are proud that we want more people to vote. Why 
are you ashamed of it? Why do you run away from it?
  Leader McConnell, we are proud that we want to get the influence of 
big, special interest money out of politics. Why do you say that is 
partisan? It is the wrong thing to do, and 90 percent of all Americans, 
Democratic and Republican, don't like to see Big Money cascading into 
politics. Argue the merits, Leader.
  When you think doing those things are democratic things, we are 
proud, and the Republican Party should be ashamed that they are not for 
them and have to call them names. To say that allowing more Americans 
to vote and getting Big Money out of politics is bad for Republicans 
and good for Democrats, that says a lot right there.
  It is a dark day--a dark day--for the Republican Party if their 
leader in the Senate has to argue against more Americans voting because 
it would hurt their party at the polls. Maybe we should go back to the 
old days and have fewer people vote, like in 1789, when only White, 
male, Protestant property owners could vote. Come on. This idea that 
having more people vote is a Democratic power grab, when it is part of 
the fundamental root of our democracy--it is an act of desperation by 
the Republican leader.
  I don't think it is a coincidence that the Republican leader has 
pledged to bring up his version of the Green New Deal for a vote but 
not H.R. 1. He is happy to twist words against it himself, but he knows 
voting rights are a hard thing to argue about.
  If he wants to try to bring it up on the floor, we welcome it. We 
welcome a

[[Page S1720]]

discussion. Make no mistake, Democrats are going to fight to make the 
ballot access easier, challenge all attempts to disenfranchise American 
citizens, and get the influence of big special interest money out of 
politics.

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