Austin Scott: “Mr. Westmoreland just very cleverly and deceitfully tried to intone and misuse the words and the actions of two of his…”

“Mr. Westmoreland just very cleverly and deceitfully tried to intone and misuse the words and the actions of two of his colleagues from Georgia, John Lewis and myself. It is very important to say that while Georgia has made great progress, I am living example of it, being elected from a district in Georgia that was only 37.6 percent African American. No question about it. But when you tell the truth, Mr. Westmoreland, tell the truth right. Here is the truth of Georgia: Since 1982, Georgia trails only Texas and Alabama in the number of successful section 5 cases, 17, brought against Georgia for failing to submit voting changes for approval to the Department of Justice. Since 1982, not since 1965, since 1982, Georgia has had 83 section 5 objections to discriminatory voting practices, the fourth highest total of all jurisdictions. Since 1982, Georgia has withdrawn the submission of 38 discriminatory voting practices to the Department of Justice after it became apparent that the Department was going to object. Since 1982, the Justice Department has deployed Federal observers to 55 times in Georgia. If there is any State that needs a continuation of the Voting Rights Act, it is Georgia. Announcement by the Chairman The CHAIRMAN. The Chair would ask Members to abide by the time limits and heed the gavel.”