The publication is reproduced in full below:
JOHN R. LEWIS VOTING RIGHTS ADVANCEMENT ACT OF 2021
______
speech of
HON. ANNA G. ESHOO
of california
in the house of representatives
Tuesday, August 24, 2021
Ms. ESHOO. Madam Speaker, I rise today with my strongest support of H.R. 4, the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act of 2021. I'm very proud to be an original cosponsor of this legislation which restores critical protections to the Voting Rights Act of 1965, protecting the right to vote for all Americans.
The disastrous Supreme Court decision of Shelby County v. Holder in 2013 gutted the Voting Rights Act of 1965 by eliminating the requirement that certain states or jurisdictions with a history of segregation and voter suppression preclear any changes to their election laws with the Justice Department. With preclearance no longer in place, dozens of jurisdictions across the country moved to restrict access to the ballot, especially for low-income voters and voters of color. The Supreme Court further gutted the Voting Rights Act in Brnovich v. DNC in 2021 by making it significantly more difficult to challenge voting laws that deny or abridge the right to vote based on race, color, or language-minority status.
Today, Americans face the worst voter suppression efforts since the Jim Crow era. In 2021, state lawmakers introduced over 400 voter suppression bills in 49 states, and at least 18 states have enacted 30 laws that restrict access to the ballot. These laws suppress the right to vote by restricting access to mail-in and early voting; reducing the number and availability of polling places; and allowing arbitrary voter purges. It's clear that voter suppression efforts are not a relic of the past and that we must have strong federal laws in place to protect the fundamental right to vote.
In my view, no legislation could be as important as this because the right to vote goes to the very core of our democracy. H.R. 4 was named in honor of the civil rights icon and late Member of Congress, John R. Lewis who dedicated his life to the sacred right to vote. This legislation continues John Lewis' cherished legacy and sends a clear message that will resound across our country that any efforts to undermine the sacred right to vote will not be tolerated in our democracy.
I urge my colleagues to vote for this historic legislation because our democracy depends on it.
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SOURCE: Congressional Record Vol. 167, No. 153
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