Arlen Specter: “I seek recognition to elaborate upon views expressed earlier today by several of my colleagues. Senators McConnell…”

“I seek recognition to elaborate upon views expressed earlier today by several of my colleagues. Senators McConnell, Hatch, Kyl, and Cornyn engaged in a colloquy regarding the meaning of section 5 of the Voting Rights Act reauthorization bill presently before this body. I wish to express my agreement with those comments and add a few thoughts of my own. Section 5 of the proposed bill overturns two Supreme Court cases: Reno v. Bossier Parish, or Bossier Parish II, and Georgia v. Ashcroft. The goal of the bill is to protect districts that contain a majority of minority voters. We are well aware of efforts in the past to disenfranchise minority voters. As a consequence, this language prohibits legislators from acting purposely, with the intention of harming minority voters, to ``unpack'' majority-minority districts and to disperse those minority voters to other districts. First, the bill overturns Bossier Parish II by prohibiting voting changes enacted with ``any discriminatory purpose.'' This language bans a government official from discriminating against minority voters. If a government official could create a district that would benefit minorities, but purposely chooses not to do so because it will be majority-minority then that government official will have violated this bill.…”