Reps. Cohen, Lewis, Hoyer, Clyburn, Conyers, Brady & 170 House Dems Introduce Voter Empowerment Act
[MEMPHIS, TN] – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) today joined lead sponsors Rep. John Lewis (GA-05), House Democratic Whip Steny H. Hoyer (MD-05), Assistant Democratic Leader James Clyburn (SC-06), Rep. John Conyers (MI-13), Rep. Robert Brady (PA-01) and more than 170 Democrats in reintroducing the Voter Empowerment Act (VEA) in the House of Representatives. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand of New York will introduce a companion version in the Senate. The Voter Empowerment Act will help ensure equal access to the ballot for every eligible voter, will modernize our voter registration system to help more Americans participate, and takes steps to eliminate deceptive practices and voter fraud that deter voters from casting their ballots.
“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. “And with more than 300 successful voting rights lawsuits over the last 2 decades, it’s clear that voting discrimination is still a problem today. I am proud to join Representative John Lewis,House Democratic Whip Steny H. Hoyer, Assistant Democratic Leader James Clyburn, House Judiciary Committee Ranking Member John Conyers, Congressman Robert Brady and so many of my colleagues in reintroducing the Voter Empowerment Act, which is an important step in the march to protect the voting rights of all Americans.”
Since 2010, new measures have been enacted in twenty-two states around the country that would make it harder for millions of eligible Americans to register or vote. As we celebrate and commemorate the 50th anniversary of the passage of the 1965 Voting Rights Act, lawmakers vowed not to sit idly by as these unprecedented laws try to turn back the clock and erect barriers to voting for military, disabled, minority, young, elderly and low-income Americans.
On March 21, 1965, thousands of protestors left Selma, Alabama and marched all the way to Montgomery to underscore the need for voting rights legislation which assured access to the ballot box for millions of Americans. Sponsors offer the VEA today as a continuation of the on-going effort to ensure that every American has an equal and fair opportunity to make their voices heard through the electoral process. At a time when some states have implemented or are planning to implement new barriers for voters who may be seniors, students, low-income Americans, members of our Armed Services, disabled, or speak English as a second language, Democrats see the need to certify their efforts to protect voting access for all Americans.
Click the following links for a section by section description, quotes in support, or full bill text of the Voter Empowerment Act. Congressman Cohen is also a cosponsor of the Voting Rights Amendment Act of 2015, which would address a Supreme Court’s ruling that invalidated portions of the Voting Rights Act by creating a new coverage formula to identify states and localities that still have high risks of continued voter discrimination.