Mazie Hirono: “The DOD runs a $1 billion annual small business innovation research (SBIR) program that has successfully invested in…”

The passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 was a major turning point in our country that finally gave many previously excluded people of color real access to the polls.

That’s why Senate Democrats are here speaking out and fighting back. We know what’s at stake, and we refuse to stand by while Republicans undermine our democracy and our sacred right to vote.

I happen to be the only naturalized citizen sitting on this committee, and I am horrified by the implication that naturalized citizens basically get second-class citizenship.

Their allies on the Court are making it easier for Republicans to dilute the voting power of minorities to tip the scales in their favor, not just in this year’s election, but for years to come.