Steve Cohen: “How do we all get here? How do we get to be one of 435 people in the United States Congress, a great honor that it is to…”

“How do we all get here? How do we get to be one of 435 people in the United States Congress, a great honor that it is to serve in this Congress? Madam Speaker, we all get here because people vote for us, the American public votes. It is the essence of a democracy. That is what makes this country great. That is why we have sent soldiers to Iraq and other places, to try to give other people democracy and have people vote. Forty-nine years ago, this Congress passed the Voting Rights Act. John Lewis, a Member of this Congress now, marched in Selma, Alabama, and was beaten by troopers to get the right to vote. Even before that, students went to Mississippi and throughout the South--which was called the Mississippi Freedom Summer--to register people to vote and had to fight to give African Americans the opportunity to vote. Schwerner, Chaney, and Goodman were killed in Mississippi. They were Mississippi Freedom Summer fighters. I met with Andy Goodman's--who was murdered down there--brother yesterday because a year ago, almost to the day, if not to the day, the Supreme Court, in Shelby v. Holder, ruled part of the Voting Rights Act unconstitutional. Our Chief Justice said it is no longer needed. Well, he was wrong. It is needed. Everyone should be entitled to vote.…”