[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 9]
[House]
[Page 12237]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                           VOTING RIGHTS ACT

  (Ms. JACKSON LEE asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, on August 6, just a few days from now, 
America will have the privilege of celebrating the 50th anniversary of 
the 1965 Voting Rights Act, with the sadness to know that that Voting 
Rights Act has been gutted by the United States Supreme Court with 
instructions for this Congress to respond to the rights of Americans to 
vote.
  I am very proud of the words that Justice Ginsburg said: It is common 
sense that, if polio is on the demise, why get rid of the polio 
vaccination.
  Voting prohibitions and prohibiting people from voting has decreased 
over the decades, but it has because of the Voting Rights Act. Frankly, 
we are doing a great disservice.
  When there are rebel flags being flown to show racial divide or 
monuments that represent very dire comments about those who are slaves, 
it looks as if this Congress could bring a voting rights legislation to 
be voted on for all Americans to be able to vote.
  What a sad state of affairs when we cannot have a real vote on the 
floor of the House to reauthorize the Voting Rights Act, which many of 
us have worked on even from the last Congress.
  I finally conclude by saying on this floor will be a bill dealing 
with what we call sanctuary cities, taking advantage of an enormous 
tragedy of which I offer my deepest sympathy.
  The National League of Cities, the Fraternal Order of Police, and the 
national Major County Sheriffs' Association are saying that the bill 
dealing with sanctuary cities is misguided.
  It penalizes law enforcement, and it doesn't allow the common sense 
that should have been issued in San Francisco, pick up the phone and 
communicate.
  I think we should do the right kind of law in this body, not laws 
that will undermine the very principles of democracy, equality, and 
justice.
  Pass a Voting Rights Act now.

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