Nancy Pelosi: “Nothing speaks to the contribution made by the African American community to our great country than the eloquence that…”

“Nothing speaks to the contribution made by the African American community to our great country than the eloquence that we heard on this floor today from our Members and the fine record of achievement by the African American community and the members of the Congressional Black Caucus to Congress over time. The focus today on this celebration of Black History Month has been election reform. My colleagues, including the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Lee), talked about the history of voting rights in this country and how African Americans first got those rights and what the struggle has been. Now, as we look to the future, we must improve. The issue of electronic voting, using technologies for the future, having a uniform standard, even if it is not a uniform manner of casting ballots and counting them, is essential. We must be very proactive in making sure that the people in all of our communities, including the African American community, know that when they vote, they will be counted, that indeed they do count.”