Pete Aguilar: “I include in the Record the following letters of support for the Senate Amendment to H.R. 5746. American Federation of…”

“I include in the Record the following letters of support for the Senate Amendment to H.R. 5746. American Federation of Government Employees, AFL-CIO, January 13, 2022. Dear Representative: On behalf of the American Federation of Government Employees, AFL-CIO (AFGE) which represents over 700,000 federal and District of Columbia employees I write to urge you to pass the Freedom to Vote: John R. Lewis Act which combines key provisions of the Freedom to Vote Act and the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act. It is crucial for Congress to restore key provisions of the 1965 Voting Rights Act that were wrongly invalidated by the 2013 U.S. Supreme Court decision Shelby County v. Holder. These provisions are critical to prevent state and local governments from passing laws discriminating against voters due to their race, ethnicity, or similar factors. Shelby County v. Holder struck the preclearance provision of the 1965 Voting Rights Act, allowing states to implement voting restrictions such as onerous identification requirements, purged voter rolls, elimination of same day voting registration, and limitations of early voting. The fundamental right of all citizens to vote and participate in the elections process is key to our functioning democracy. Public servants defend and advance this right every day through their work protecting our environment, caring for veterans, and safeguarding our country.…”