Cohen on DOJ Seeking to Preclear Texas Voting Law Changes: "A Win for Civil Rights"
[WASHINGTON, DC] – After a recent Supreme Court ruling 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, Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) applauded this morning’s announcement that the U.S. Department of Justice will seek to ensure that new Texas laws that threaten to disenfranchise countless voters are adequately reviewed and receive preclearance before going into effect. The Congressman made the following statement:
“Make no mistake, last month’s Voting Rights Act ruling by the Supreme Court 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 aggressively fighting to protect 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, it is sad that the Supreme Court has decided to gut some of the law’s most important provisions. 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.”