Senate Introduces Must-Pass John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act as Bloody Sunday Anniversary and State of the Union Near
Washington, D.C. – Today Senator Raphael Warnock (D-GA) and other leaders reintroduced top priority democracy legislation, the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, which would restore and expand the Voting Rights Act. Lisa Gilbert, executive vice president of Public Citizen, released the following statement.
“We applaud the Senate for the reintroduction of the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act. Now, Congress must pass it.
“Here we are, in 2024 – nearly 60 years after Bloody Sunday and almost 11 years since Shelby v. Holder gutted the Voting Rights Act. Since Shelby, over half of U.S. states have passed nearly 100 laws that make it harder to vote for communities of color. It’s a stain on our nation that must be reversed.
“We are hurtling towards a presidential election at a time when many political leaders believe they should be able to choose their own voters. But that’s not how democracy works. The bare minimum Congress can do is get us back to the baseline of voting protections we had for 50 years until 2013. It’s time to loudly proclaim the need for this reform in the State of the Union, and for Congress to pass this bill.”