Ahead of MLK Day, Norton Calls on Congress to Pass Voting Rights Legislation and D.C. Statehood

Statement

Ahead of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) called on the Senate to pass voting rights legislation and her District of Columbia statehood bill, which passed the House for the second time last April.

"Dr. King spent his life giving a voice and bringing voting rights to the most disenfranchised members in our society," Norton said. "He supported home rule for D.C. well before the city focused on statehood. His efforts led to passage of the 1965 Voting Rights Act, allowing people of color to exercise their franchise in states with chronic histories of enacting restrictive voting laws. Although the Supreme Court in 2013 gutted the Voting Rights Act, the Court invited Congress to update the Act. In the absence of responsible action by Congress, states have felt emboldened to pass new voter suppression laws. Dr. King's birthday is not only for commemoration of past victories. His birthday should inspire the Senate to act to complete the nation's work on civil rights."

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