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Congressional Voting Rights Caucus Leaders Urge Justice Department to Investigate Harmful Jim Crow-Style Voter Suppression Measures to Safeguard Right To Vote

April 16, 2021

WASHINGTON, D.C. – 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), sent a letter urging the Department of Justice to safeguard the right to vote for all Americans amid rampant Jim Crow 2.0 voter suppression efforts. This letter responds to the recent advancement of laws in multiple states that will effectively make voting harder for all Americans, suppress minority voter turnout and undermine the ability of local election officials to encourage voter participation.

The members of Congress in their joint letter asked Merrick Garland, Attorney General at the Department of Justice to explain what his agency is doing to investigate these restrictive laws and what measures are being proactively taken to ensure all Americans can safely vote in upcoming elections.

"During the 2020 election, Americans across the country risked their lives to vote during a deadly pandemic to ensure their voice was heard at the ballot box. The 2020 election had the highest voter participation in a century while maintaining election security and accuracy. Despite the successful administration of the 2020 election, we are seeing a dangerous trend occurring in states across the country, with state lawmakers introducing dangerous Jim Crow-style voter suppression laws that will silence the voices of Black, Indigenous, people of color, as well as people with disabilities," the members wrote.

They continue: "…these bills, if passed, aim to specifically suppress minority voter turnout and will make voting harder for the general public. They would undermine the ability of local election officials to encourage voter participation and will create new barriers for voters."

Reps. Veasey (TX-33), Sewell (AL-07) and Scott (VA-03) are the original co-chairs and co-founders of the Congressional Voting Rights Caucus (CVRC). The Caucus was created in 2016 to address the immediate need to overcome the barriers our communities face when exercising their right to vote.

You can read the full text of the letter here.