Constitution & Civil Justice Subcommittee Ranking Member Cohen Cosponsors Voting Rights Advancement Act of 2015
[WASHINGTON, DC] – Two years to the day after a Supreme Court decision eviscerated civil rights protections enshrined in the Voting Rights Act of 1965, Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) continued his efforts to fully restore those protections by cosponsoring the Voting Rights Advancement Act of 2015, which was introduced by Congresswoman Terri Sewell (AL-07). The legislation would restore and advance the Voting Rights Act by providing a modern day coverage test that will extend federal oversight to jurisdictions which have a history of voter suppression and protects vulnerable communities from discriminatory voting practices.
“In the past, people have been beaten or even killed in the struggle to ensure the right to vote was available to all Americans,” said Congressman Cohen. “But we are still seeing efforts to curtail this constitutional right throughout the country, and it is clear that we must restore the full protections of the Voting Rights Act to effectively fight discrimination. The Voting Rights Advancement Act of 2015 will address this urgent need and help ensure the sacred right to vote is not denied to any American, and I am proud to cosponsor it.”
The Voting Rights Act was enacted only after years of those in the civil rights movement marching and in some cases being beaten or dying in the pursuit of voting rights. For nearly 5 decades, the Voting Rights Act helped secure the right to vote for millions of Americans. In a 5-4 decision in 2013, the Supreme Court took a step backwards on the Voting Rights Act by holding that the formula in Section 4 of the Act was unconstitutional and could no longer be used. In striking down Section 4, the Court put the civil rights of millions of Americans at risk by making enforcement of the Voting Rights Act more difficult. The Court did, however, leave the door open for Congress to revisit Section 4 and update the coverage formula to allow for proper enforcement.
Background Information on the Voting Rights Advancement Act of 2015
Senators Patrick Leahy (VT), Dick Durbin (IL) and Chris Coons (DE) have introduced a companion bill in the Senate.
Joining Congresswoman Sewell as lead sponsors of House bill include Congresswoman Judy Chu (CA-27), chairwoman of the Congressional Asian Pacific Caucus and Congresswoman Linda Sanchez (CA-38), chairwoman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus. Congressman John Lewis signed on as an original co-sponsor.
Under the Voting Rights Advancement Act of 2015, federal protections will extend to all voters nationwide. The legislation targets certain voting practices known to suppress the voting rights of minorities and the disabled. The bill is the result of collaboration with those at the grassroots who have witnessed the harmful effects discriminatory voting laws have had in their communities.
Key provisions of the bill include:
A new geographic coverage formula that is based on current conditions that includes 13 states: Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, Texas, Louisiana, Florida, South Carolina, North Carolina, Arkansas, Arizona, California, New York and Virginia. The bill establishes a “rolling” nationwide trigger that continuously moves so that only states that have a recent record of racial discrimination in voting would be covered.
Allows federal courts to bail in states for preclearance based on discriminatory results not only intentional violation. Current law permits states or jurisdictions to be bailed in if an intentional violation can be shown. The new legislation offers more protection by allowing a court to bail in states or jurisdictions whose voting practices have discriminatory results.
Greater transparency in federal elections to ensure that voters are made aware of late-breaking changes in voting procedures. The additional sunlight will deter discrimination from occurring and protect voters from discrimination.
Revises the standard for preliminary injunctions for voting rights court cases, allowing a court at the start of litigation to immediately halt a challenged voting practice until a final ruling. This provision recognizes that when voting rights are at stake, stopping a discriminatory practice after the election has already concluded is too late to vindicate voters’ rights.
The Bill expands the Attorney General’s authority to request federal observers.
An outline of the Voting Rights Advancement Act of 2015 can be found here, and a sectional analysis can be found here. Text of legislation can also be found online.