WASHINGTON – Today the League of Women Voters of the United States CEO Virginia Kase Solomón issued the following statement in response to the House reintroduction of the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act: 

“Today our elected leaders are taking the necessary steps to preserve our democracy. The John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act will restore the provisions stripped from the Voting Rights Act of 1965 while modernizing legislation that guarantees all voters, specifically voters of color, can exercise their right to vote. We commend the House on reintroducing this critical piece of legislation.   

“Our freedom to vote is under attack, and this legislation is needed now more than ever. We’ve seen too many recent attempts to chip away at our democracy, with voter suppression efforts diluting the fundamental right to vote for voters of color. Our elected leaders must act now before voters go to the polls in next year’s elections. We cannot afford to wait any longer to restore access to the ballot. The Voting Rights Act has a long history of bipartisan support. It is the obligation of this new generation of lawmakers to respond to the call of the majority of Americans who support new legislation to protect the vote.  

“We thank Rep. Terri Sewell for leading this fight to protect our democracy. We urge our elected leaders to work together in a bipartisan way to pass the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act because our democracy needs it now more than ever." 

###