[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 9]
[House]
[Page 13173]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF VOTING RIGHTS ACT

  (Ms. JUDY CHU of California asked and was given permission to address 
the House for 1 minute.)
  Ms. JUDY CHU of California. Mr. Speaker, 50 years ago, hundreds of 
courageous, unarmed men and women marched from Selma to Montgomery to 
call for the right to vote. They were met with violence, prejudice, and 
hate; but these brave men and women continued their push for equality. 
Because of their sacrifice and determination, the historic Voting 
Rights Act was passed.
  For over 40 years, the Voting Rights Act was one of our best tools to 
combat historic discrimination. It provided critical voter protections 
to ensure that Americans of all backgrounds had equal access to the 
ballot box; but with the Supreme Court's Shelby County decision 2 years 
ago, key provisions were gutted from this act that must be restored.
  As we commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act, I 
urge my Republican colleagues to restore dignity to our electoral 
process and ensure that this is a democracy of the people and by the 
people. Allow us to vote on meaningful legislation to restore the 
Voting Rights Act.

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