Congressman Al Green Proudly Stands with President Biden and Vice President Harris in the Fight for Passage of National Voting Rights Legislation

Statement

On Tuesday, January 11, 2022, Congressman Al Green (TX-09) released the statement below following the U.S. President and Vice President's remarks in Atlanta, GA advocating for voting rights:

"S.2747 The Freedom to Vote Act and H.R. 4 The John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act are both crucial pieces of legislation that are currently at an impasse in the Senate. Both need to pass without deleterious filibustering to preserve our constitutional right to safe, free, and fair elections. Indeed, as Vice President Harris said in her speech, accepting voting restrictions currently in place as normal is dangerous. Complacency with a status quo hostile to voting rights subverts democracy and the founding principles upon which our nation was built. This is why sweeping voting rights legislation must move forward," Congressman Al Green stated.

"The Freedom to Vote Act includes major reforms of voter registration standards, makes Election Day a public federal holiday, and requires any entity that spends more than $10,000 in an election to disclose its major donors. Among other provisions, it also requires that states ensure the lines to vote last no longer than 30 minutes and increases protections for local election administrators. The John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act restores the previously eviscerated Section 4(b) of the 1965 Voting Rights Act. This area of the law concerned itself with the procedure determining which states must comply with preclearance. Preclearance refers to the practice of having states with a history of voting rights violations obtain federal approval of any voting-related provisions prior to enacting them into law. The John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act would restore preclearance and reign in states that have a history of discriminatory practices, such as Texas, to ensure that the will and power of all eligible voters across the country are not undermined."

Congressman Al Green, who has long been a champion for voting rights in the state of Texas and across the country, concluded, "I firmly agree with President Biden who expressed a desire to eliminate the filibuster. After repeated obstruction of the constitutional right to vote, which forms the bedrock of our democracy, filibuster reform is without a doubt necessary and overdue. This archaic Senate rule has been exploited over time to force the will of a minority upon the majority, as is happening now with voting rights. I look forward to continue working with my colleagues in the House and Senate, Vice President Harris, and President Biden to ensure that voting rights for Americans are protected at all costs."

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