[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 184 (Wednesday, October 20, 2021)]
[Senate]
[Pages S7102-S7103]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                             Voting Rights

  Mr. REED. Mr. President, I rise today to join my colleagues in 
supporting S. 2747, the Freedom to Vote Act; and S. 4, the John Lewis 
Voting Rights Advancement Act; and S. 2615, the Right to Vote Act.
  As some States and political operatives around the country seek to 
roll back voter protection laws and gerrymander voting districts, 
Congress must act to strengthen the freedom to vote and ensure 
elections are safe and accessible.
  Since its original passage in 1965, the Voting Rights Act safeguarded 
the rights of historically marginalized voters at the polls.
  Sadly, the U.S. Supreme Court's 2013 ruling in Shelby County v. 
Holder gutted key Voting Rights Act protections. Earlier this year, in 
July 2021, the Supreme Court issued another split ruling further 
weakening the law in its decision in Brnovich v. DNC, making it more 
difficult to challenge discriminatory voting laws under section 2 of 
the Voting Rights Act.
  Over the years, this democracy has seen a crisis in access to the 
polls, and it has been worsened recently as Republican-led State 
legislatures have implemented policies that disproportionately suppress 
the voting rights of people of color, the elderly, college students, 
and those living in rural areas, among others. Those same political 
operatives have repeatedly weaponized false claims of election fraud, 
like those perpetuated by former President Trump, to try to overturn 
the will of the people.
  The right to vote is a fundamental right guaranteed by our 
Constitution and our desired responsibility to protect it. In the 
United States of America, a beacon of democracy, our elections must be 
open and transparent and follow a process and procedure that all 
Americans can trust. It is more important than ever for Congress to 
affirm that voters have a right to free and fair elections.
  The Freedom to Vote Act fulfills this constitutional responsibility 
by improving access to the ballot, advancing commonsense election 
integrity reforms, and protecting our democracy from emerging threats 
from cyber attacks to misinformation bots. It is not the job of 
government to make it hard to vote; rather, it is our responsibility to 
balance the convenience of voters with the security of their ballots. 
This legislation does just that.
  I also support the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, which 
will repair the damage done by the Supreme Court's decisions by 
restoring the U.S. Department of Justice's Civil Rights Division's 
oversight over historically discriminatory States when they change 
voting laws and legislative districts.
  The John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act would provide needed 
Federal oversight and serve as a check on communities that have engaged 
in a pattern of restricting voting rights and making it harder for 
minority voters to be counted.
  Finally, I support the Right to Vote Act, which would establish the 
first-

[[Page S7103]]

ever statutory right to vote in Federal elections, therefore allowing 
Americans to enforce that right by challenging in court any policy that 
restricts ballot access.
  This legislation takes an enshrined right and empowers the people 
with the tools to defend it. This way, States attempting to restrict 
voting access will have to meet a high bar to justify any policy that 
makes it harder for U.S. citizens to participate in Federal elections.
  Restricting the ability of Americans to freely and fairly cast their 
ballots threatens the very core of our Nation's founding democratic 
principles.
  As Americans deal with the ongoing effects of COVID-19 and prepare 
for elections in the coming months and years, we should be removing--
not adding--unnecessary barriers to voting.
  While efforts to pass voting rights legislation have been stymied by 
Senate Republicans, you can be assured that I will continue to stand 
ready and willing to work with my colleagues in Congress to defend 
Americans' right to vote, end partisan gerrymandering, and prevent 
voter suppression.
  The vote today will allow us to begin a much-needed debate on the 
topic of voting rights. I ask my Republican colleagues to come to the 
table and join us in this conversation about how we can protect our 
elections and safeguard American democracy.
  I urge all my colleagues to support these important bills that would 
protect and advance voting rights in our country.
  I yield the floor.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The senior assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. LEE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for 
the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.