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Letter to the Hon. Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the House of Representatives, the Hon. Steny Hoyer, Majority Leader of the House of Representatives, and the Hon. Jerrold Nadler, Chairman of the Committee on the Judiciary - Crist, Sewell Lead Call to Restore Voting Rights Act

Letter

Date: March 18, 2021
Location: Washington, DC
Issues: Civil Liberties and Civil Rights Elections

Dear Speaker Pelosi, Leader Hoyer, and Chairman Nadler

As members from states that are actively pursuing new voter suppression measures, we write with great concern that voters lack the protection of a fully functioning Voting Rights Act. Opponents of our democracy in state legislatures, governors, and members of the judiciary are attacking the right to vote. Therefore, we must ensure all efforts to restore voting rights are addressed through a deliberative, legislative process as the 117th Congress prioritizes the restoration and modernization of the Voting Rights Act.

"When you see something that is not right, not just, not fair, you have a moral obligation to say something. To do something." We heed these iconic words of our late colleague, the Honorable John R. Lewis. And we will not be silent while voters in our states are targeted with measures like restricting ballot drop boxes and making vote-by-mail harder in Florida, eliminating "Souls to the Polls" Sunday early voting frequently used by Black churchgoers in Georgia, and adding a notary requirement to mail ballots in Arizona.

As you know, the misguided Shelby v. Holder decision gutted the Voting Rights Act in 2013. Since then, voters of color, students, and seniors -- particularly in states that lost Section 5 coverage -- have endured relentless, targeted attacks on their right to vote. When signed into law in 1965, the Voting Rights Act was critical for preserving the right to vote. As our states are demonstrating, it remains critical today. The Democratic Party has been the party of voting rights for decades, and we have confidence that under your leadership, we will not only restore but strengthen the Voting Rights Act in this Congress. We look forward to this work.

Sincerely,


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