Marc Veasey: “As I stand here today, Republicans in the Texas State Legislature are rapidly advancing some of the most restrictive…”

“As I stand here today, Republicans in the Texas State Legislature are rapidly advancing some of the most restrictive voting laws that we have seen in our Republic since the Voting Rights Act was passed in the 1960s. That is why it is so important that we pass H.R. 4, the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, because H.R. 4 will help us fight against this dangerous GOP-led anti-voter discrimination that we are seeing, discrimination against the very voters who have fueled growth in our State and who are allowing Texas to pick up two new seats after reapportionment. It will help restore full protections of the landmark Voting Rights Act of 1965 and re-implement the critically needed VRA preclearance provision to focus on States with a recent history of discrimination, like the State that I live in. It is a State that has consistently pushed racially charged anti-voter legislation that will allow everything from empowering partisan poll watchers to intimidating Texas voters to imposing criminal penalties. We have to do something about this. Let's pass H.R. 4. ____________________”