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Rep. Veasey (TX-33) Joins Over 190 Colleagues to Introduce H.R. 4, the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act

August 17, 2021

Bill would restore the full promise of our democracy by prohibiting states and localities from restricting the right to vote

WASHINGTON – Today, Rep. Veasey (TX-33), co-founder and co-chair of the Congressional Voting Rights Caucus, joined over 190 members of the House of Representatives to introduce H.R. 4, the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, legislation that restores federal oversight for states with a recent history of voter discrimination.

Eight years after the Supreme Court's Shelby County v. Holder decision that gutted the Voting Rights Act, the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act addresses a wave of restrictive, anti-voter laws being enacted at the state level.

"Republicans are fighting tooth and nail to rob minorities in states like Texas of their sacred right to vote," said Rep. Veasey (TX-33). "I am proud to once again cosponsor the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act because the right of all citizens to vote free from discrimination is at the heart of America's democracy. Against the backdrop of the most coordinated state-level effort to restrict the right to vote in generations, the need for federal legislation to restore confidence and transparency in the election system has never been so urgent. I urge my colleagues in to commit to prioritizing accessibility to the ballot and preserving the right to vote for all Americans."

The John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act seeks to restore the full protections of the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

Specifically, the bill will take into account the Shelby County v. Holder decision in 2013 by establishing an updated formula for determining which states and localities must obtain federal pre-clearance before making changes to their voting laws. It also establishes a targeted process for reviewing voting changes based on measures that have historically been used to discriminate against voters.

For areas to qualify for judicial pre-clearance, they must have the following qualifications:

- States with a history of 15 or more violations at any level in the previous 25 years
- States with a history of 10 or more violations, if one violation occurs at the state level in the previous 25 years
- Subdivisions with 3 or more violations in the subdivision in the previous 25 years

The bill also addresses the decision in Brnovich v. DNC by eliminating the heightened standard created by the Court to challenge racially discriminatory laws under Section 2.

The House of Representatives is set to consider H.R. 4 next week.