[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 89 (Wednesday, May 22, 2024)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E543-E544]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       SUPPORTING THE JOHN R. LEWIS VOTING RIGHTS ADVANCEMENT ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. TERRI A. SEWELL

                               of alabama

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, May 22, 2024

  Ms. SEWELL. Mr. Speaker, in the more than ten years since the Supreme 
Court gutted the Voting Rights Act in the Shelby vs. Holder case, state 
legislatures have targeted voters and erected deliberate barriers to 
the ballot box in what amounts to the most coordinated effort to 
restrict voting access in generations. These new laws would: Close 
polling stations without advanced notice, purge voter rolls, curb early 
voting and voting by mail, impose strict ID requirements and limit 
multi-lingual voting materials.
  If we are to gather here today and discuss solutions to rid this 
Nation of voter disenfranchisement, then I suggest that instead of the 
Republican misguided bill, the House finally take up H.R. 14, the John 
Robert Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act.
  Named for our late great colleague and Civil Rights hero, the bill 
would establish a modern-day formula to prevent states with a recent 
history of voter discrimination from enacting restrictive voting laws.
  Generations of Americans marched, fought and even died for the right 
to vote, many in my hometown of Selma, Alabama. We cannot let the 
continuation of unjust practices threaten their legacy and undermine 
our democracy.
  The right to vote is the most fundamental right in our democracy. 
With the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, we're ensuring that 
every eligible American can make their voices heard in fair, 
accessible, and transparent elections.

[[Page E544]]

  I hope my colleagues on the other side of the aisle will finally join 
me and fellow Democrats in this worthwhile endeavor.
  It was John Lewis who said ``that the right to vote is precious, 
almost sacred. It is the most powerful non-violent tool in a democratic 
society. We must use it.''
  I urge my colleagues to join me in defending this precious right so 
that H.R. 14 can finally be brought forward for a vote; and show once 
and for all to our constituents that we are united in defense of our 
democracy and our most sacred right to vote.

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