[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 163 (2017), Part 7]
[House]
[Page 9709]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




CONGRESS MUST RESTORE THE FULL PROTECTIONS OF THE VOTING RIGHTS ACT NOW

  (Mr. BROWN of Maryland asked and was given permission to address the 
House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. BROWN of Maryland. Mr. Speaker, last year's Presidential election 
was the first in 50 years without the full protections of the Voting 
Rights Act. What was the result?
  Fourteen States had new voting restrictions, including strict voter 
ID, cuts to same-day registration and early voting, and fewer polling 
places. This suppressed the vote, particularly among voters of color 
and in poor communities, and had a major impact in close races in North 
Carolina, Virginia, and Florida, according to the Brennan Center for 
Justice.
  The Voting Rights Act once enjoyed bipartisan support, and Congress 
should, once again, come together to modernize the law and respond to 
the Supreme Court's objections. Yet despite calls to pass legislation 
for the past 4 years, nothing has happened.
  Voting is a right, not a privilege, and there is no debating that 
point.
  The Founders in Philadelphia, women at Seneca Falls, and marchers in 
Selma all recognized the power of the vote. When we protect the rights 
of voters to make their choices, whatever they may be, we do our part 
to build a more perfect union.
  We can't wait for the next election. Congress must restore the full 
protections of the Voting Rights Act now.

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