Political Quotes

“This morning a number of members of the CBC, the Congressional Black Caucus, will speak on the emotions, the value and the gift of the 1965 Voting Rights Act. I thank our chairwoman, Congresswoman Marcia Fudge, and I'm delighted to lead that moment this morning. I will tell the Members of Congress you will hear us over the next couple of weeks and months as we proceed to do what the Supreme Court has said that Congress must do and has the authority to do, and that is to reauthorize the Voting Rights Act of 1965. I disagree with the court's decision, for that bill was firm. And just a few years ago, as a member of the House Judiciary Committee, with 15,000 pages, 21 hearings, a vote of 390-33 in the House and 98-0 in the United States Senate, we reaffirmed every American's right to vote. In fact, since that passage, Virginia has had 11 of its jurisdictions opt out. Many other jurisdictions have opted out or taken the bailout provision. But yet, that decision now has left bare the soul of so many voters who will now be unable to vote because of the Voting Rights Act elimination or striking down of section 4. Mr. Speaker, if the Voting Rights Act is wrong, then Fannie Lou Hamer was wrong, the three civil rights workers were wrong, and Martin Luther King, Jr., was wrong. Today we stand together to encourage our colleagues, Republicans and Democrats, to work with us to reauthorize the Voting Rights Act. ____________________”