On the recordFebruary 25, 2015
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the 50th anniversary of the voting rights march from Selma to Montgomery and to urge my colleagues to pass voting rights legislation in this Congress. In 1960, there were only 66,000 African Americans registered to vote in Alabama. In 1965, there were 15,000 Black residents of Dallas County, Alabama, where Selma is located, but fewer than 200 were registered to vote. African Americans who attempted to vote faced intimidation, discrimination, and worse. The Voting Rights Act of 1965 and the unrelenting efforts of heroes like our colleague from Georgia, John Lewis, helped correct these injustices. But the fight isn't over. State legislation, ballot initiatives, and court cases across the country in recent years have jeopardized the voter registration protections that John Lewis and others fought so hard for. We need to stay vigilant, and we need new legislation today. As we celebrate Black History Month, let's recognize how far we have come. Let's pass voting rights legislation in this Congress for the good of the country. ____________________
