U.S. Senator Raphael Warnock and Senator Dick Durban of Illinois are reintroducing the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act. The announcement came during a press conference on Tuesday.
“This has always been a bipartisan piece of legislation,” according to Warnock. “The last time it passed, Georgia W. Bush, a Republican, was president. It passed the Senate without a single no vote. The question becomes ‘what has changed.’ And so, times are tough, but we are not about to give up on passing the Voting Rights Act.”
Supporters say the legislation would strengthen protection against racially discriminatory gerrymanders.
Warnock said voting rights are the bedrock of other rights in the nation.
“Healthcare is critical, climate change as we stand in this heat, whole range of issues, workforce development, people’s prosperity, housing. But here’s the thing, voting rights are preservative of all other rights.”
According to a statement from Warnock, the measure comes as the Georgia Secretary of State's Office is purging nearly 480,000 voters from the voter rolls and as a Texas House committee hears residents’ concerns on the Legislature’s plans to consider redrawing some congressional districts in the state.
