Cohen Applauds DOJ Lawsuit Challenging Constitutionality of Texas Voter ID Law
[MEMPHIS, TN] – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) today announced his support of the U.S. Department of Justice’s (DOJ) new lawsuit challenging the Constitutionality of a recently-passed Texas law that threatens to disenfranchise countless voters. This move by the DOJ carries exceptional weight in light of a recent Supreme Court ruling that left important provisions of the Voting Rights Act in limbo and raised questions about whether the civil rights of millions of Americans—including minority groups who have historically been oppressed—would remain protected. The Congressman made the following statement:
“Make no mistake, the recent ruling by the Supreme Court that gutted important provisions of the landmark Voting Rights Act was an affront to civil rights in this country,” said Congressman Cohen. “While Congress works to fix the Supreme Court’s mistake, I am glad that Attorney General Holder is not waiting for even more discrimination against minorities before using every tool at his disposal to aggressively fight for the civil and human rights that we fought for decades to obtain.”
“As we approach the 50th anniversary of the Great March on Washington that led to the Voting Rights Act, protecting the right of every American to vote is especially important. Thankfully, today’s move by the Department of Justice to protect our citizens is a win for civil rights and a win for all Americans.”
Earlier today, the DOJ announced that it will file a new lawsuit against the State of Texas, the Texas Secretary of State, and the Director of the Texas Department of Public Safety over the State’s strict voter photo identification law (SB 14). The United States’ complaint seeks a declaration that SB 14 violates Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, as well as the voting guarantees of the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments to the United States Constitution. Separately, the Department is filing a motion to intervene as a party and a complaint in intervention against the State of Texas and the Texas Secretary of State in the ongoing case of Perez v. Perry (W.D. Tex.), which concerns the state’s redistricting laws.