Political Quotes

“Madam President, in 2005, I was honored to join Congressman John Lewis on a trip to Selma, AL, for a ceremonial walk over the Edmund Pettus Bridge to mark the 40th anniversary of what has come to be known as ``Bloody Sunday.'' In March of 1965, Congressman Lewis, Rev. Hosea Williams, and 600 other brave civil rights activists led a voting rights march over that bridge. These courageous men, women, and children were marching for civil rights and voting rights. All they would receive that day, however, were beatings and bruises from police batons as they were turned back and chased down by State troopers. A few days after ``Bloody Sunday,'' President Johnson addressed the Nation and called on the House and the Senate to pass the Voting Rights Act. Shortly thereafter, the Voting Rights Act was signed into law, guaranteeing that the fundamental right to vote would never again be canceled out by clever schemes--like poll taxes and literacy tests-- devised to keep African Americans from voting. The Voting Rights Act is the cornerstone of the civil rights movement and one of the most effective laws on the books when it comes to protecting the right to vote for all Americans. On Wednesday, the Supreme Court heard oral arguments in Shelby County v. Holder, a case challenging the constitutionality of section 5, which is the very heart of the Voting Rights Act.…”