On the recordNovember 1, 2011
no State should have the right to make a law if it abridges people's basic rights. I have requested the Department of Justice to look into that. I requested this several months ago. At this moment, I cannot tell you to what degree the Department of Justice is questioning this. They have been engaged in a lawsuit, because the State of Florida has sued them. The State of Florida is suing them to invalidate the entire Voting Rights Act of 1964, if you can believe that. Look back in history. After being arrested for casting an illegal vote in the Presidential election in 1872, Susan B. Anthony, a schoolteacher, called it a downright mockery to talk to women of their enjoyment of the blessings of liberty while they were being denied the use of the only means of securing that, and that is the ballot. That is what Florida's new election law and others like it around the Nation are, a downright mockery. Dr. King warned Americans that all types of conniving methods can be used to keep people from being registered voters. That is what these new so-called election reform laws amount to, democracy turned upside down. I hope the Senate will look at this. I yield the floor. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Maryland. SPECIAL JOINT COMMITTEE
