[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 10 (Friday, January 14, 2022)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E37-E38]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            NASA ENHANCED USE LEASING EXTENSION ACT OF 2021

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                      HON. TERESA LEGER FERNANDEZ

                             of new mexico

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, January 13, 2022

  Ms. LEGER FERNANDEZ. Madam Speaker, I include in the Record the 
following letters of support for the Senate Amendment to H.R. 5746.

                                         Friends of the Earth,

                                                 January 13, 2022.
       Dear Representative: On behalf of Friends of the Earth's 
     millions of members and supporters, we write in strong 
     support of the House Amendment to the Senate Amendment to 
     H.R. 5746, the Freedom to Vote: John R. Lewis Act, which will 
     ensure that voters can safely and freely cast their ballots, 
     protect against election sabotage, stop partisan 
     gerrymandering, and limit the influence of dark money in 
     politics so that billionaires can't buy elections.
       Guaranteeing a strong and functioning democracy, including 
     the right to vote, is critical to ensuring that our 
     government can adequately address the many environmental 
     challenges our country faces, from climate change to 
     environmental justice.
       The Freedom to Vote: John R. Lewis Act will ensure that 
     voters can safely and freely cast their ballots, protect 
     against election sabotage, stop partisan gerrymandering, and 
     limit the influence of dark money in politics so that 
     billionaires can't buy elections.
       Nineteen states enacted 34 new laws that restrict access to 
     the ballot box in 2021 alone and more are under consideration 
     today. Candidates are running for top election offices 
     peddling the Big Lie. States are passing racially-
     gerrymandered maps that dilute the power of Black and Brown 
     voters. This legislation would fight back against all these 
     attacks and ensure the ability for every American to 
     participate in safe, accessible, and transparent elections.
       Our organization fully endorses this bill and urges you to 
     support this legislation.
           Sincerely,

                                                Michelle Chan,

                                       Vice President of Programs,
                              Friends of the Earth--United States.
                                  ____
                                  
                                            League of Women Voters


                                         of the United States,

                                 Washington, DC, January 13, 2022.
     Re: Vote Yes on HR 5746, the Freedom to Vote: John R. Lewis 
         Act.

     Members of the House of Representatives:
       Dear Representative: The League of Women Voters of the 
     United States writes in strong support of the House Amendment 
     to the Senate Amendment to H.R. 5746, the Freedom to Vote: 
     John R. Lewis Act. This legislation is critical to the 
     protection our democracy. We must ensure that voters can 
     safely and freely cast their ballots, stop partisan 
     gerrymandering, and limit the influence of dark money in 
     politics so that billionaires cannot buy elections.
       Our country remains in the middle of a desperate fight for 
     voting rights. State legislatures around the country have 
     introduced hundreds of bills designed to create barriers and 
     prevent Black, brown, indigenous, and other voters from 
     casting their ballots. In 2021, nineteen states enacted 34 
     voter suppression laws, and we know more will go into effect 
     in the months ahead.
       Right now, redistricting processes across the country are 
     underway. This is the first redistricting cycle without the 
     full protections of the Voting Rights Act. Voters are not 
     just at risk of losing their freedom to vote, but they stand 
     to lose representation in the US Congress and in state 
     legislatures. Critical legislation like the Freedom to Vote 
     Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act are 
     urgently needed to override these voter suppression measures, 
     prevent such laws from taking effect in the future, and 
     protecting representation in communities across the country.
       Our organization fully endorses this bill and urges you to 
     cast your vote in favor of this legislation.
           Sincerely,
     Virginia Kase Solomon,
       CEO, League of Women Voters of the United States.
                                  ____
                                  
                                            National Asian Pacific


                                       American Women's Forum,

                                                 January 13, 2022.
       Dear Representative: The National Asian Pacific American 
     Women's Forum (NAPAWF) is proud to endorse the House 
     Amendment to the Senate Amendment to H.R. 5746, the Freedom 
     to Vote: John R. Lewis Act, and strongly urges you to VOTE 
     YES to support our access to the ballot. Asian Americans and 
     Pacific Islanders (AAPI) are the fastest-growing populations 
     in the nation, and our ability to make choices about issues 
     that impact us is on the line.
       NAPAWF is the only national, progressive, multi-issue, 
     community organizing and policy advocacy organization for 
     AAPI women and girls in the country. NAPAWF approaches our 
     work through the reproductive justice framework, which is 
     rooted in the human right to control our bodies, our 
     sexuality, our gender, and our reproduction.
       Core to NAPAWF's work is our commitment to building power 
     with AAPI women and girls. Through our chapters in Arizona, 
     Chicago, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, New York City, St. Cloud, 
     and Texas, we center our organizing on the AAPI women who are 
     most impacted by the issues we work on, such as workers with 
     low wages, first-generation immigrants, and people who speak 
     English as a second language. Our base spans at least twenty 
     different AAPI ethnic groups and is multigenerational.
       This is why protecting voting rights is so crucial to us. 
     Many of the issues we care about are intrinsically linked to 
     the power of voting and NAPAWF is excited that the House is 
     advancing this important issue. Our communities need support 
     now, please vote YES.
       If you have any questions, please contact Da Hae Kim, 
     NAPAWF's Judicial Strategy and Legal Advocacy Manager.
           Sincerely,
                                             Sung Yeon Choimorrow,
                                               Executive Director.

[[Page E38]]

     
                                  ____
                                                  Sierra Club,

                                                 January 13, 2022.
     Re: Sierra Club's support for the Freedom to Vote: John R. 
         Lewis Act.

       Dear Representative: On behalf of our over 3.8 million 
     members and supporters, I write to express our strong support 
     for the Freedom to Vote: John R. Lewis Act and urge it's 
     immediate passage.
       This act will ensure every American has equitable access to 
     the ballot box, protect against election sabotage, prohibit 
     extreme partisan gerrymandering and set limits on the 
     influence of dark money in politics. Protecting and 
     strengthening the freedom to vote for every American is the 
     bedrock principle of our democracy and this Act seeks to do 
     just that.
       Last year alone, prompted by the Big Lie, over 400 anti-
     voter bills were introduced with 19 states enacting more than 
     30 of those laws, all with the intent of rolling back voting 
     rights for Americans. This year as state legislatures 
     convene, more anti-voter bills have already been prefiled 
     with more expected to be introduced and passed in the coming 
     weeks/months. Federal legislation is desperately needed in 
     order to stop these states attacks on voting rights.
       The time is now, we must act swiftly to protect the freedom 
     to vote and ensure our democracy is equatibly accessible to 
     all Americans, regardless of zip code. We urge our 
     Representatives on behalf of our 3.8 million members and 
     supporters, to not delay and immediately pass the Freedom to 
     Vote: John R. Lewis Act.
           Sincerely,

                                                      Dan Chu,

                                        Acting Executive Director,
     Sierra Club.
                                  ____



                                     Women of Color Coalition,

                                                 January 13, 2022.
       Dear Representative: We write in strong support of the 
     House Amendment to the Senate Amendment to H.R. 5746, the 
     Freedom to Vote: John R. Lewis Act, which will ensure that 
     voters can safely and freely cast their ballots, protect 
     against election sabotage, stop partisan gerrymandering, and 
     limit the influence of dark money in politics so that 
     billionaires can't buy elections.
       Nineteen states enacted 34 new laws that restrict access to 
     the ballot box in 2021 alone and more are under consideration 
     today. Candidates are running for top election offices 
     peddling the Big Lie. States are passing racially-
     gerrymandered maps that dilute the power of Black and Brown 
     voters. This legislation would fight back against all these 
     attacks and ensure the ability for every American to 
     participate in safe, accessible, and transparent elections.
       Our organization fully endorses this bill and urges you to 
     support this legislation.
           Sincerely,

                                            Rachel Green, MPA,

                                                    Founder & CEO,
     Women of Color Coalition.

                          ____________________