Congressman Marc Veasey (TX-33) Fights To End Voter Suppression, Restore Crucial Voting Protections

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Marc Veasey (TX-33), founder of the Congressional Voting Rights Caucus, joined his colleagues to pass H.R. 4, the Voting Rights Advancement Act, in the U.S. House of Representatives. The Voting Rights Advancement Act is a critical piece of legislation that will restore the full strength of the Voting Rights Act, after a 2013 Supreme Court decision gutted key provisions of the act, unleashing a flood of voter suppression laws in America.

"In 2019, the right to be heard at the ballot box continues to be under unprecedented threat and the voices of our nation's voters are being silenced. Today, my colleagues and I are fighting back by passing H.R.4, the Voting Rights Advancement Act, to ensure that all Americans—no matter what their race or background may be—have the opportunity to participate in our Democracy," said Congressman Marc Veasey. "By restoring the Voting Rights Act, we restore the American people's confidence in our elections and protect their sacred right to vote."

Specifically, the Voting Rights Advancement Act restores section 4 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, by developing a process to determine which states and localities with a recent history of voting rights violations over the last 25 years must preclear election changes with the Department of Justice. In 2013, the Shelby v. Holder Supreme Court ruling invalidated this important section, allowing dozens of states with known discriminatory voting practices to implement voter suppression tactics like strict voter ID laws, poll closures, and voter roll purges to restrict voting.

H.R. 4, the Voting Rights Advancement Act, has the support of a wide range of organizations, including the American Association of University Women, League of Women Voters of the United States, National Education Association, NAACP, The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Asian Americans Advancing Justice, and Native American Rights Fund.