New Democrat Coalition Statement on House Passage of H.R. 4
Today, the House of Representatives passed the New Democrat Coalition-endorsed (NDC) H.R. 4, the Voting Rights Advancement Act. The bill, introduced by NDC Vice Chair Terri Sewell, seeks to address the most egregious forms of recent voter suppression by developing a process to determine which states and localities with a recent history of voting rights violations must pre-clear election changes with the Department of Justice.
“One of the most sacred rights as an American is the right to vote. Unfortunately, we know that too many Americans have faced barriers to the ballot box. Generation after generation of voting rights advocates have fought in hopes of ensuring that every American voice is heard,” said New Democrat Coalition Chair Derek Kilmer. “Today, I’m proud to see the House support the Voting Rights Advancement Act, a bill endorsed by the New Democrat Coalition and led by our Vice Chair, Terri Sewell. This bill will safeguard voting rights by putting teeth back into the Voting Rights Act and ensure equal access to the ballot box. Congress should do everything in its power to protect the rights of every American citizen to participate in our democracy.”
“Voting is personal to me, not only because I represent America’s Civil Rights District—but because it was on the streets of my hometown, Selma, Alabama, that foot soldiers shed their blood on the Edmund Pettus Bridge so that all Americans—regardless of race—could vote!” New Democrat Coalition Vice Chair Terri Sewell said. “I am so proud that, today, the House took critical steps in addressing the Supreme Court’s Shelby decision and passed H.R. 4, the Voting Rights Advancement Act, to restore the Voting Rights Act of 1965 to its full strength.”
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