Honoring Georgia Congressman John Lewis, Senator Reverend Warnock Introduces Landmark Legislation to Restore Historic Voting Rights Act
Press Release
Today, U.S. Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA) joined a group of his colleagues on the floor of the U.S. Senate to introduce the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, legislation named in honor of voting rights champion and former Georgia Congressman John Lewis that will reinstate and update the protections of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 that have been eroded in recent years by federal court rulings. During his remarks, Senator Warnock discussed the urgent importance of passing the newly-introduced legislation that will address the outcomes of two Supreme Court rulings that undermined voting rights, Shelby County v. Holder (2013) and Brnovich v. DNC (2021), and restore protections for voting rights across the country.
The John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act will restore the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and strengthen our democracy by reestablishing preclearance for jurisdictions with a pattern of voting rights violations, protecting minority communities subject to discriminatory voting practices, and defending voters from election subversion. Senator Warnock reiterated during his floor speech his commitment to passing federal voting rights legislation, and called on Senators from both sides of the aisle to support the bill, which has previously passed the Senate with strong bipartisan support.
In addition to Senator Warnock, the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act was introduced by U.S. Senators Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee Dick Durbin (D-IL), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), and several of their Democratic colleagues.
Read the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act of 2021 here.
Highlights from Senator Warnock's floor speech here:
John Lewis was my parishioner. And as I stand in support of this legislation, named in his honor, I think of the many conversations I had with him over the years, I think of the Sunday mornings we boarded a bus taking "Souls to the Polls" Because I believe that voting-- as he did-- is a sacred undertaking at root it is about people's voice. And in that sense it's about one's humanity.
One of the most important tools that came out of that [John Lewis's for voting rights] activism -- that came out of that human sacrifice-- one of the most important tools in this legislation is the process of preclearance. This process required that jurisdictions with a proven history of voting rights violations get approval from the Department of Justice, or our federal courts, before making changes to local voting administration. For decades, this was the tool that helped enfranchise countless voters, ensure that they would have access to the ballot. Exercise their constitutional right, and it kept some of the worst voter suppression efforts at bay.
Then in 2013, the Supreme Court in Shelby vs Holder asked the Congress to update the coverage formula that determines which states are subject to preclearance. The Supreme Court said that this pre-clearance formula had somehow been outdated and Congress ought to bring it up to date. That's what they asked us to do in 2013. Since then, Congress has been unwilling to act. Preclearance has been allowed to atrophy, and we've seen the results not only in Georgia but in Texas and Arizona and Pennsylvania, all across our country.
I think of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and her dissenting opinion. When that decision came down, she said "throwing out preclearance when it has worked, and is continuing to work to stop discriminatory changes is like throwing away your umbrella in a rainstorm because you're not getting wet." We throw away our umbrella and we have found ourselves in the midst of a torrential rainstorm--voter suppression laws mushrooming all over the country.
Similar version of this legislation has been voted up by this chamber repeatedly in the past with strong bipartisan support, some 16 Republican Senators who were either here or in the [U.S.] House. When it passed in 2006, 98 to zero, are here today. And I asked them what's the difference?
Voting rights are not just another issue, voting rights are preservative of all other rights. Voting rights are about the foundation of our democracy. And I believe that if the world's greatest deliberative body can't find a way forward to get this done, history will judge us harshly, and rightly so.
Full Transcript of U.S. Senator Reverend Warnock's floor speech below:
"As a proud son of the great state of Georgia and a voice for our state, here in this chamber I am deeply honored to join my colleagues here today to introduce this important legislation in honor of one of Georgia's and America's most influential public servants.
"I'm grateful for the comments of Senator Blumenthal, and I want to thank Senator Leahy and all of my colleagues for their leadership in introducing this bill that carries on the legacy of Congressman Lewis's pivotal work to protect the sacred right to vote.
"John Lewis was my parishioner. And as I stand in support of this legislation, named in his honor, I think of the many conversations I had with him over the years, I think of the Sunday mornings we boarded a bus taking "Souls to the Polls" Because I believe that voting-- as he did-- is a sacred undertaking at root it is about people's voice. And in that sense it's about one's humanity.
"I learned so much from Congressman Lewis and the lessons from his lived experiences-- working deep in the trenches to defend and advance voting rights-- he laid it all on the line. When President Johnson took his pin and signed this legislation, making it law in a real sense. What he penned had already been affirmed in blood. The risk that John Lewis took-- the ultimate sacrifice that others made as they lost their live, fighting for: the vote, the voice, the humanity of every child of God.
"And one of the most important tools that came out of that [John Lewis's for voting rights] activism -- that came out of that human sacrifice-- one of the most important tools in this legislation is the process of preclearance. This process required that jurisdictions with a proven history of voting rights violations get approval from the Department of Justice, or our federal courts, before making changes to local voting administration. For decades, this was the tool that helped enfranchise countless voters, ensure that they would have access to the ballot. Exercise their constitutional right, and it kept some of the worst voter suppression efforts at bay.
"Then in 2013, the Supreme Court in Shelby vs Holder asked the Congress to update the coverage formula that determines which states are subject to preclearance. The Supreme Court said that this pre-clearance formula had somehow been outdated and Congress ought to bring it up to date.
"That's what they asked us to do in 2013. Since then, Congress has been unwilling to act. Preclearance has been allowed to atrophy, and we've seen the results not only in Georgia but in Texas and Arizona and Pennsylvania, all across our country.
"Earlier this year in Georgia, state leaders enacted a voter suppression law that will undoubtedly make it harder for some people to vote. If the tool of preclearance were in place right now, SB 202 in Georgia likely would not even be on the books.
"I think of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and her dissenting opinion, when that decision came down, she said "throwing out preclearance when it has worked, and is continuing to work to stop discriminatory changes is like throwing away your umbrella in a rainstorm because you're not getting wet." We throw away our umbrella and we have found ourselves in the midst of a torrential rainstorm--voter suppression laws mushrooming all over the country.
"We are witnessing right now what happens to our democracy without the protections of preclearance and the other vital provisions of the Voting Rights Act. The lack of robust voting rights protections has ramifications for every American, as we've seen efforts ramp up this year at passing sweeping state level voter suppression laws. Not laws that only impact, Black people and people of color to be sure, but also students, seniors, whomever certain politicians are afraid of will somehow get in the way of their craven march to power.
"So this bill, the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act is about Congress finally doing its job. Finally, doing what the Supreme Court asked us to do in 2013-- should have been done long time ago. The updated Voting Rights Advancement Act we're introducing today, restores the Voting Rights Act of 1965, it strengthens our democracy by reestablishing preclearance, and it makes it better by updating it, to also protect against specific practices we know suppress the vote like: polling place closures, and new types of voter roll purges, happening not only in the South but all over the country.
"Our bill also restore Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act to protect minority communities from discriminatory voting practices, after the Supreme Court diminished Section 2 earlier this year.
"Mr. President, just like the Freedom to Vote Act, me and many of my colleagues, introduced just a few weeks ago, to set national standards for voting so every eligible voters voices heard. John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, we introduced today is designed to meet future challenges and address additional anti-democratic efforts aimed at suppressing the vote, all over our country.
"Since I was elected on January 5th, since that terrible day on January 6th when this very Capital was assaulted. We've seen more than 400 proposals and in 49 states. So the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act builds for us, a fire station to protect against future fires. But the house of democracy is already on fire and so we need the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, but we also need the Freedom To Vote Act. We got to put out the fire. We got to build a fire station for future fires.
"Mr. President, I know there's a lot on our plate. But we can't waste any time getting these bills passed. We can walk and chew gum at the same time.
"John Lewis walked across a bridge--In order to build a bridge to a new American future. We already passed infrastructure, he understood that the infrastructure of our democracy was in trouble, and so he walked across the bridge in order to build a bridge. So the [U.S.] House has already passed a version of this act. And I know my friends Senator Joe Manchin, has been having conversations about the Freedom to Vote Act with our friends across the aisle-- we're happy to talk to anybody on both sides of the aisle.
"Similar version of this legislation has been voted up by this chamber repeatedly in the past with strong bipartisan support, some 16 Republican Senators who were either here or in the [U.S.] House. When it passed in 2006, 98 to zero, are here today. And I asked them what's the difference?
"Voting rights are not just another issue, voting rights are preservative of all other rights. Voting rights are about the foundation of our democracy. And I believe that if the world's greatest deliberative body can't find a way forward to get this done, history will judge us harshly, and rightly so.
"Reinhold Niebuhr said that "Humankind's capacity for justice makes democracy possible. But our inclination to injustice makes democracy necessary." This work--this assignment, which we have right now is both possible and necessary. We can do it. And we must do it is the most important thing we can do this Congress. And I hope we will do it now. Mr. President, I yield the floor."
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