WASHINGTON – U.S. Rep Jeff Van Drew (D-2nd) voted Dec. 6 to pass the Voting Rights Advancement Act, a bill that finally restores the full strength of the Voting Rights Act, the landmark 1965 law that barred barriers to political participation by racial minorities and prohibited any election practice that denies the right to vote on account of race.
According to a release, “The right to vote is the cornerstone of our democracy. It is essential that every eligible American voter has the ability and access to have their voice heard,” stated Van Drew. “Today, Congress used its express Constitutional power to enact laws protecting the right to vote and guaranteeing the equal protection of all citizens, and I am glad to have joined my colleagues in passing this important legislation through the House of Representatives and urge Senator McConnell to bring this bill up for a vote immediately.”
H.R. 4 is a response to the 2013 Supreme Court Shelby County v. Holder decision that unleashed a flood of state and local voter suppression laws that are silencing the voices of American voters, particularly communities of color.
This bill, in response to the Supreme Court’s invitation to Congress to provide a new coverage formula based on “current conditions,” creates a new coverage formula that hinges on a finding of repeated voting rights violations in the preceding 25 years.
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