Zoe Lofgren: “Throughout our history, we have fought to advance justice and extend the right to vote, to ensure every American can…”

“Throughout our history, we have fought to advance justice and extend the right to vote, to ensure every American can freely and equally participate in our democracy. Chief Justice Earl Warren, in the Supreme Court's Reynolds v. Sims (1964) opinion, wrote that ``[t]he right to vote freely for the candidate of one's choice is of the essence of a democratic society, and any restrictions on that right strike at the heart of representative government.'' Even though top experts have repeatedly affirmed that the 2020 election was the safest and most secure in our Nation's history, Republican lawmakers across the country unleashed a wave of anti-voter and election sabotage laws, which experts predict will only intensify this year, seizing on a defeated president's Big Lie about widespread voter fraud. According to the Brennan Center for Justice, between January 1 and December 7, 2021, at least 19 states passed 34 laws restricting access to voting. The Freedom to Vote: John R. Lewis Act responds to this assault on our democracy. It includes two pieces of legislation vital to ensuring every American has free, equitable, and secure access to the ballot-- the Freedom to Vote Act and the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, versions of which have previously passed the House last year. The John R.…”