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Congressional Voting Rights Caucus Leaders Condemn Rise of Jim Crow 2.0 Voter Suppression Laws

April 5, 2021

WASHINGTON - Today, Reps. Marc Veasey (TX-33) Terri Sewell (AL-07) and Bobby Scott (VA-03), co-founders and co-chairs of the Congressional Voting Rights Caucus (CVRC), released the following statement condemning the recent spate of voter suppression laws designed to undermine communities of color of their right to the ballot box:

"A record number of Americans turned out to make their voices heard at the ballot box during the 2020 elections. Instead of building on the success of these elections, states and politicians across the country are trying to pass Jim Crow-style voter suppression laws.

"Over the last few weeks, we saw Georgia Governor Brian Kemp sign one of the most restrictive voter suppression measures in recent history into law. Hundreds of similar laws have been introduced in other states aimed at disenfranchising communities by restricting secure drop boxes, creating new voter identification requirements, reducing early voting, and prohibiting volunteers from providing water to those who wait in line to exercise their right to vote. These voter suppression laws also take aim at the independence of election officials and interfere with a fair administration of our elections. These bills will make voting harder and are intentionally designed to suppress minority voter turnout and undermine the ability of local election officials to encourage voter participation.

"These anti-democratic voter suppression bills across the country are not based on fact, instead they rely on falsehoods and misinformation about the 2020 elections in order to pass sweeping restrictions to the ballot box. Earlier this year, we joined our colleagues to pass the For the People Act (H.R.1), a sweeping anti-corruption package to protect voting rights. In the coming months, we will be pushing the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act which will finally restore the full strength of the Voting Rights Act, after the disastrous 2013 Supreme Court decision in Shelby County v. Holder gutted key provisions of the law.

"We implore our colleagues in the United States Senate to swiftly pass these crucial voting rights measures so President Biden can sign them into law. We cannot allow the sacrifice of so many people who shed blood for the right to vote to be in vain