[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 10]
[House]
[Page 14079]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                REAUTHORIZATION OF THE VOTING RIGHTS ACT

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Eddie Bernice Johnson) is recognized for 5 
minutes.
  Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, the passage of the 
1965 Voting Rights Act was our greatest accomplishment in the long 
struggle against discrimination and oppression. It has changed the face 
of this Nation and enabled millions of Americans the opportunity to 
vote.
  During the 1960s, we saw many brave men and women rise up against the 
oppression of Jim Crow and demand an equal voice in our democracy. In 
this battle for the most basic of rights, many heroic Americans were 
beaten and imprisoned, saw their churches burned or bombed, or were 
killed in the name of freedom and justice. I am proud to serve 
alongside Congressman John Lewis, whose bravery and presence during 
that historic march in Selma changed this Nation.
  There are many young people who may not know of this battle towards 
equality. It is imperative we recognize and celebrate our great 
accomplishments as a nation. We cannot develop future policies or laws 
without applying the lessons we have learned from the past.
  This August will mark the 41st anniversary of the Voting Rights Act. 
There are many who say there is no longer a need for the Voting Rights 
Act. Unfortunately, this is not the case. It is true that we have made 
remarkable progress since 1965, however, there is still much work to be 
done.
  Minorities continue to face an uphill battle of misinformation over 
polling locations, the purging of voter rolls, scare tactics, and 
inaccessible voting locations. Prior to the 2004 elections, students at 
Prairie View A&M were told they could no longer register to vote in 
Waller County, Texas. The fear was that the eight thousand students at 
this Historically Black College would elect someone the local District 
Attorney didn't want.
  The Voting Rights Act helped protect these students from becoming 
disenfranchised voters. This change in voter registration was not pre-
cleared by the Department of Justice, as required by Section 5. 
Ultimately, the Texas Attorney General and the Department of Justice 
intervened and provided these students with the access and opportunity 
to vote. This is just one example of why we still need Section 5 and 
the Voting Rights Act.
  Section 5 is current, necessary and protects the rights of millions 
of Americans. The reality is that there are still some people out there 
who don't want minorities to vote.
  As part of the backlash against illegal immigration, there have been 
calls to eliminate bilingual voting assistance. I feel that Americans 
should be able to speak English; however, I do not endorse testing 
language abilities as a prerequisite to vote. Those who receive 
bilingual voting assistance are American citizens. They weren't 
required to pass a language test to pay taxes or serve in the military, 
so they shouldn't have to prove their language skills in order to vote.
  The Voting Rights Act was not and never will be about special 
rights--it is about equal rights. Our democracy and our values as 
Americans are contingent upon the idea that every person should have 
the right to vote and have that vote counted.
  We have made amazing progress since the enactment of the Voting 
Rights Act, but progress does not mean that we stop trying. Now is the 
time to reauthorize this historic cornerstone of civil rights. It is 
imperative to our rights, our freedom and our democracy.

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