D21 On Senate Introduction Of The John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act

Statement of Democracy 21 President Fred Wertheimer

Democracy 21 applauds the Senate introduction of the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act (S. 4), led by Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Raphael Warnock (D-GA).

A foundational principle of our democracy is that every eligible citizen has the right to vote and to have their vote counted properly. Today, that right is under threat for millions of Americans due to a wave of state-level voter suppression efforts designed to limit access to the ballot box.

Voters of color, Native American voters, voters with disabilities, college students, and the elderly are being disproportionately impacted by these voter suppression laws.

What we are facing today is the greatest voter suppression effort in the United States since the Jim Crow era. And what harms one voter, harms us all.

The John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act would protect the sacred right to vote for all eligible citizens.

The Voting Rights Act, first enacted in 1965 and reenacted over the years, served for decades to make the right to vote a reality in states and communities where this right had been denied or undermined. Beginning in 2013, Supreme Court decisions have severely undermined the Act.

The John Lewis voting Rights Advancement Act would restore and protect the safeguards in the Voting Rights Act and help override voter suppression efforts in the states that are undermining our democracy.

“The vote is precious. It is almost sacred,” Rep. John Lewis, the late civil rights champion, once said. “It is the most powerful non-violent tool we have in a democracy.”

While there will be no action on the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act and the Freedom to Vote Act in this Congress, the fight to protect voting rights cannot, and will not, stop. These important measures are laying the groundwork for the hard work ahead to repair the damage done by voter suppression efforts in states around the country.

Although the Trump Administration, current Congress, and MAGA-aligned state governments are working to strip away the right to vote for millions of eligible citizens, this battle is not lost. Citizen voices will be heard and there will be an opportunity to act. When that moment comes, we will be ready to ensure that the sacred right to vote is protected for all.