[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 193 (Wednesday, November 3, 2021)]
[Senate]
[Pages S7687-S7688]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



              John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act

  Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, the Senate today has the opportunity to 
live up to its best traditions. We can put our democracy over any 
political party.
  Later today, we will take the first step that could put us on the 
path to having an open debate about the John Lewis Voting Rights 
Advancement Act. I have championed and sponsored this bill to restore 
the landmark Voting Rights Act of 1965. I have done this for years.
  Today, Senators of both parties have the chance to show they are 
willing to do the job we were elected to do--to debate and vote on 
legislation. And no legislation could be more foundational to our 
democracy than that which protects the right to vote.
  We 100 Senators all have the right to vote. Let us exercise that 
right and not avoid voting on the John Lewis Voting Rights Act. This is 
such a fundamental part of our democracy. Let's set the example here, 
where all 100 Senators know we have the right to vote. Let's make sure 
we vote and not avoid voting. I hope that we as a Senate will honor the 
rich bipartisan history around the Voting Rights Act in the name of our 
hero John Lewis, in the name of our democracy, and in the name of a 
foundational value that is the bedrock of our country.
  Just yesterday, we announced a bipartisan compromise in the hopes of 
building support for the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act. I am 
grateful to Senators Murkowski and Durbin and Manchin for their 
dedication to reaching this compromise. That bill, which we would seek 
to advance after proceeding to S. 4, will fully restore the Voting 
Rights Act, which is needed after two devastating decisions by the 
Supreme Court.
  I have been clear that should the Senate eventually proceed to this 
bill, then I would welcome amendments to further strengthen and 
solidify this restoration of the Voting Rights Act, which, after all, 
has been bipartisan since the first enactment, usually passing the 
Senate unanimously, being signed into law by Presidents Reagan and Bush 
and others. But we should at least have that debate. Certainly, 
Senators should not avoid debating, and certainly Senators should not 
hide behind some procedural role so they don't have to vote one way or 
the other on the basic rights of Americans to vote.
  So that is why we are here--to debate, vote on bills. There is simply 
no reason for any Senator to look at their constituents and say that 
this topic, that of protecting the right to vote, is just too political 
or too controversial--not the Voting Rights Act; not a voting rights 
bill that has a 56-year history of bipartisanship. No Senator should 
act as though they are afraid to vote one way or the other on this. Is 
that the message we want to convey to American voters eager to know 
what the Senate is doing to protect and strengthen our democracy? Ours 
is the

[[Page S7688]]

longest surviving democracy in history. The American people are 
watching and the world is watching what we do. Americans expect us to 
vote yes or no, not hide behind procedure.
  Restoring and updating the Voting Rights Act on a bipartisan basis is 
how we have always done it. The core provisions of the Voting Rights 
Act have been reauthorized five times. Every time, there has been 
overwhelming bipartisan support, Republicans and Democrats alike.
  Presidents Nixon, Reagan, and George W. Bush all signed Voting Rights 
Act reauthorizations into law. They touted the profound importance of 
this landmark law for our democracy. In fact, I remember--I was here--
the most recent Voting Rights Act reauthorization in 2006 and the vote: 
98 to 0. We still have Senators serving today, both Republicans and 
Democrats, who voted to support that legislation. The compromise bill I 
crafted with Senator Murkowski follows the very same blueprint of these 
other bipartisan efforts to restore the Voting Rights Act.
  I am aware of the toxic partisanship of American politics today, but 
I hope that is not going to obscure what has for decades united us as 
Americans and across party lines, and that is the belief that every one 
of us should have that protecting our right to vote--the very right 
that gives our democracy its name--is bigger than party or politics. It 
is the belief that a system of self-government--a government of, by, 
and for the people--is one that is worth preserving for generations to 
come. It is the belief that government exists to serve the will of the 
people, not the other way around.
  So I hope that today we are going to rise above partisanship. Let's 
do what is right for our democracy. Let's not be afraid to vote. I hope 
we show Americans the Senate is still capable of being the conscience 
of the Nation and a unifying force during a divided time. I still 
believe we can be the Senate that acts together to maintain 
Americans'--our constituents'--constitutional right to vote.
  When Senators come to the floor to cast their votes today, I hope 
they keep in mind the rich bipartisan history of the Voting Rights Act. 
I hope they decide to live up to that history. I hope they are also 
mindful of how history will remember us. Decades from now, when history 
tells the story of today's current threats to democracy, let it also 
tell the story of Senators who rose above the fray to protect the right 
that gives democracy its very name. Let all Senators vote so that all 
Americans can vote.
  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. SCHUMER. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.