A Fair Process for All: Voter Inequality is A Problem
Floor Speech
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Ms. SEWELL of Alabama. Mr. Speaker, I rise to acknowledge today as Restoration Tuesday and once again, to speak on behalf of those whose voices have been silenced by the refusal of Congress to fully restore the federal protections of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Two weeks ago, I was honored to stand beside fellow colleagues Rep. Marc Veasey of Texas and Rep. Bobby Scott of Virginia and other Members of Congress to launch the Congressional Voting Rights Caucus. The Caucus is committed to restoring the Voting Rights Act of 1965 to its original state and restoring the vote to all the suppressed voices in this great nation. We will continue to stand together until we achieve our goal and make our election process fair for everyone once again. The right to vote should be easy for all eligible voters and not made more difficult for some of this country's most disenfranchised members. It is a sad day in this nation when there are eligible Americans who cannot take part in the democratic process that we as Americans are all promised, just because they are unable to attain a photo ID. To some, this may not seem like a hard request or even a major problem. However, to the people in rural Alabama and in many rural areas all over the country--it is a tough request and it is a big problem. When your district closes over 30 DMVs--the most common location to receive a photo ID--this is a problem. When the nearest courthouse or DMV is 20 miles away and you don't have gas money, a car, or any public transport--this is a problem. When you do not have a birth certificate because you were delivered by a midwife and are told you are not able to vote, even though you are an American, born and raised--this is a problem. What is crystal clear is that these new suppressive voting laws are crippling the democratic process. This is an election year and the right to vote is under attack. An essential element of our democracy is corroding, and we indeed have a problem. When a county systematically shuts down voting polls from 400 in 2008 to 200 in 2012 and then plummets to only 60 in 2016, the problem is clear. Maricopa County in Arizona forced voters to endure long lines and an arduous process to simply have their vote counted--to have their voices heard. To my fellow colleagues, I say maybe your district doesn't have long lines wrapped around the streets and maybe your elderly constituents can easily access their birth certificates. But my district and so many others do have real problems accessing the ballot box. If one person is denied the right to vote, it undermines the integrity of the entire voting process. We cannot forget about the millions of Americans who suffer from new suppressive voting laws around the country. We cannot sit back and simply say, ``This is not my problem.'' When Americans are being suppressed and silenced, it is an American problem. This is still the United States of America, and we cannot stand strong when a significant portion of our country suffers in silence. A democracy means inclusion, not exclusion--America stands for equality, fairness and justice for all. It is time we make the democratic process, democratic once again. Until every voice in this great nation is allowed to speak freely, without suppression, I will stand on this floor and speak in support of our Constitutional right to vote. I urge my colleagues to join me and 168 other members in support of H.R. 2867, the Voting Rights Advancement Act. It is time Congress restores the VRA.
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