Voting rights organization founded by Stacey Abrams calls on the U.S. Senate to immediately pass both the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act and the For the People Act
ATLANTA — Today, Fair Fight Action, the voting rights group founded by Stacey Abrams, released a statement applauding the U.S. House of Representatives for passing HR4, the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act. The group called on the U.S. Senate to swiftly pass both the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act and the For the People Act (S1).
Together, the For the People Act and John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act are key tools in protecting the freedom to vote across the country—and particularly in protecting people of color from voter suppression. The John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act would respond to discriminatory voting rules enacted by states since the Supreme Court’s 2013 decision in Shelby County gutted key protections in the Voting Rights Act, and restore federal oversight to prevent states from implementing discriminatory voting laws and practices in the future. The For the People Act would establish minimum national standards that ensure the freedom to vote is accessible for all eligible Americans.
Fair Fight Action Founder and Chair Stacey Abrams issued the following statement:
“Fair Fight Action applauds Speaker Pelosi and the House of Representatives for making voting rights a top priority and moving quickly to pass the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act. Thanks to the leadership of Reps. Sewell, Nadler, Cohen, Butterfield, and the House Judiciary Committee—who have demonstrated the tremendous urgency of this moment—the Senate will now be able to vote on both HR4 and S1, the For the People Act, immediately upon their return to session.
This is a critical window for progress on voting rights. With redistricting fast approaching, the time has never been more urgent for federal legislation protecting the freedom to vote. At a moment of crisis for our democracy and nation, the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act and the For the People Act provide essential safeguards to ensure our constitutional rights. Their passage is imperative.”
The John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act provides much-needed tools to stop discriminatory voting practices and laws in their tracks and discourage their enactment in the future. Over 400 anti-voter bills have been introduced in 49 state legislatures in 2021 alone. With the recent Supreme Court ruling in Brnovich v. DNC further weakening the protections of the Voting Rights Act, the urgent need for federal action to protect the freedom to vote is greater than ever.
The passage of the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act in the House follows an August 16 hearing before the House Judiciary Committee Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties. Testimony during the hearing made it abundantly clear that over the last 25 years, and especially since Shelby County, states have enacted voting laws, policies, and procedures with discriminatory intent and/or that disproportionately burden communities of color. Fair Fight Action’s report on Georgia’s enduring racial discrimination in voting and the urgent need to modernize the Voting Rights Act was submitted as part of the Congressional Record.
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