Political Quotes

“Tonight I rise this evening proud to stand with my coanchor, my classmate, the gentleman from the Eighth Congressional District of New York (Mr. Jeffries). I say to the gentleman that I look forward to tonight's Special Order hour. Mr. Speaker, Congressman Jeffries and I, along with our colleagues from the Congressional Black Caucus, will have scholarly debate on how our democracy is in crises because of the assault on the right to vote in America. As we just heard from Mr. Jeffries and we will hear from others, voting is the voice of the people. The Voting Rights Act of 1965 passed with bipartisan support, established strong Federal protections for the freedom to vote, banning or limiting many of the discriminatory election policies and practices of the Jim Crow South. Combined with subsequent legislation such as the National Voter Registration Act, which requires State agencies to provide opportunities for voter registration, the Voting Rights Act has helped our Nation make significant progress in boosting voting for African Americans and other historically marginalized groups. But we find ourselves, Mr. Speaker, today facing our first Presidential election in 50 years without the full protection of the Voting Rights Act. As Mr. Jeffries referenced in Shelby, the Supreme Court decision reversed over 50 years of progress made to expand access to the voting booth and opened a pathway to new voting laws that discriminate against African American voters.…”