[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 160 (2014), Part 8]
[House]
[Page 11002]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                      VOTING RIGHTS AMENDMENT ACT

  (Mr. PAYNE asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)
  Mr. PAYNE. Mr. Speaker, we are here today to celebrate two very 
different anniversaries. Fifty years ago, we enjoyed the Freedom Summer 
and the signing of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 that paved the way for 
voting rights in this country.
  Sadly, Mr. Speaker, 49 years later--and 1 year ago today--the Supreme 
Court gutted the Voting Rights Act, saying that it was outdated and 
unjustified.
  Since this decision, we have seen that the Voting Rights Act is 
needed more than ever now before. From 2000 to 2013, there were a 
recorded 148 violations in 29 States, meaning 29 States have actively 
tried to pass laws, such as requiring a photo ID or cutting out early 
voting, which limits access to the ballot.
  It is time we pass the Voting Rights Amendment Act, of which I am a 
proud cosponsor, and keep fighting until voting rights are reinstated 
in this country.

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