Patrick Leahy: “Keeping the Voting Rights Act intact is important, but enforcing it is equally important. Now that Congress has passed…”

“Keeping the Voting Rights Act intact is important, but enforcing it is equally important. Now that Congress has passed the law--and the President has signed it--it is up to the President to ensure that this law and all of its provisions are enforced fully and faithfully. I was pleased last Thursday to hear the President commit to aggressive enforcement and to defend the Act from legal attacks. Article I of the Constitution provides for the Congress to write the laws, and Article II provides for the President to enforce them. Congress has done its part, and now the President must do his. I commended him for saying that he will. Last week I spoke to the Senate about a letter I had sent to the President in which I urged him not to follow his usual practice of signing a bill with his fingers crossed behind his back and later issuing a presidential signing statement undercutting the law that Congress passed. I return today to report to the Senate that, to the best of my knowledge, the President has accepted that advice and has not issued an after-the-fact signing statement. I thank the President for following this course.…”