[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 147 (Tuesday, August 17, 2021)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E904-E905]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  SUPPORT FOR H.R. 4, THE JOHN R. LEWIS VOTING RIGHTS ADVANCEMENT ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. TERRI A. SEWELL

                               of alabama

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, August 17, 2021

  Ms. SEWELL. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 4--the 
John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act. Growing up in

[[Page E905]]

Selma, Alabama, under the shadow of the Edmund Pettus Bridge, the 
history of the Civil Rights Movement was not something I had to learn 
in school. The foot soldiers of the movement were not names or pictures 
in a history book. They were a vital and vibrant part of my community--
they were my school teachers, church members and my neighbors.
  The Edmund Pettus Bridge loomed large over my hometown of Selma, 
serving as a constant reminder, not only of Bloody Sunday, but of the 
national movement that ultimately led to the passage of the Voting 
Rights Act of 1965.
  Fifty-six years later, the cause for which the foot soldiers, like 
our beloved colleague John Lewis, marched, bled and some died for, is 
now our cause too. Today, old battles have become new again as we face 
the most pernicious assault on the right to vote in generations. It's 
clear: federal oversight is urgently needed. By preventing states with 
a recent history of voter discrimination from restricting the right to 
vote, the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act restores the full 
promise of our democracy and advances the legacy of those brave foot 
soldiers like John Lewis who dedicated their lives for the sacred right 
to vote.
  Over eight years ago, the Supreme Court's Shelby County v. Holder 
decision gutted key provisions of the Voting Rights Act that, for 
decades, prevented states from enacting discriminatory and restrictive 
voter suppression laws. In her dissent, Justice Ginsburg wrote that 
``throwing out preclearance when it has worked and is continuing to 
work to stop discriminatory changes is like throwing away your umbrella 
in a rainstorm because you are not getting wet.'' Justice Ginsburg was 
right, and over eight years later, we are drenched to the bone.
  Driven by the Big Lie, state lawmakers have introduced over 400 bills 
in 49 states just this year that would restrict the right to vote. In 
18 states, these anti-voter bills have already been signed into law. 
These laws are intended to allow politicians to pick and choose whose 
voices are heard by subjecting voters to longer lines, inaccessible 
polling places, strict voter ID requirements, broken voting machines, 
and purges of voter rolls.
  Furthermore, earlier this summer, the Supreme Court weakened another 
essential section of the Voting Rights Act in the Brnovich decision by 
upholding Arizona's discriminatory voter restrictions intended to 
target Latino and other minority voters.
  Let me be clear: Today our nation faces a critical juncture. As 
President Biden said, this represents the most significant test of our 
democracy since the Civil War. Without congressional action to restore 
and modernize the Voting Rights Act, a fundamental pillar of our great 
democracy will crumble.
  But we have a solution. H.R. 4, the John R. Lewis Voting Rights 
Advancement Act will restore and modernize key provisions of the VRA 
which were gutted by the Supreme Court.
  Most importantly, the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act 
provides Federal oversight of states and political subdivisions that 
have a significant and recent history of voting rights violations by 
requiring those with a specific number of repeated violations in the 
preceding 25 years to receive preclearance. The bill also provides for 
a practice-based preclearance coverage to target those jurisdictions 
that have enacted measures that have historically been used to suppress 
the right to vote.
  Moreover, H.R. 4 clarifies Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act in 
response to the Supreme Court's recent Brnovich decision where it 
improperly changed congressional intent behind the standard for 
determining vote denial cases under the VRA. Other principal provisions 
of H.R. 4 include increased transparency and notice requirements for 
states and political subdivisions, strengthened protections for voters 
before certain discriminatory laws have been implemented, and expanded 
authority for use of federal election observers.
  As a daughter of Selma and the Congresswoman who represents the Civil 
Rights District, I know the injustices suffered on the Edmund Pettus 
Bridge have not yet been fully vindicated. Progress is elusive, and 
every generation must fight and fight again to preserve the progress of 
the past and advance it. This is our generation's time to act to 
protect our democracy.
  The need for Congress to pass the John R. Lewis Voting Rights 
Advancement Act has never been more urgent.
  From our dear friend and colleague John Lewis, we learned of the 
importance of getting into necessary trouble--``good trouble.'' Now 
more than ever, it is time for Congress to act to preserve our 
democracy--to get into ``good trouble'' for the people.
  I urge all my colleagues, both Democrat and Republican, to vote in 
favor of H.R. 4 and to restore the full protections of the Voting 
Rights Act.