500 signatures reached
To: Mitch McConnell & the U.S. Senate
Honor Rep. John Lewis: Pass the Voting Rights Advancement Act
Rep. John Lewis spent his life fighting to ensure that everyone can access the ballot box -- and against unjust laws that strip Black and Brown Americans of their voice in our democracy.
To truly honor Rep. Lewis, Sen. Mitch McConnell must stop stonewalling the bipartisan Voting Rights Advancement Act, which has been sitting on his desk for months -- and the Senate must pass this bill and its crucial protections for voters.
Why is this important?
America just lost a giant in the fight for civil rights. If our senators want to honor Rep. John Lewis, they must continue his legacy -- by passing the Voting Rights Advancement Act.
For six decades, Lewis fought tirelessly to expand and protect the rights of Black voters and other voters of color. And the Voting Rights Act (VRA) of 1965 was one of the crown jewels of his lifelong struggle.
Under the VRA, states and counties with a history of discrimination had to get federal approval for new voting laws -- which stopped thousands of harmful provisions from taking effect. But the Supreme Court gutted that requirement in 2013, inviting power-hungry politicians to silence voters.
Strict voter ID requirements in Texas. Voter roll purges in Georgia. Polling place shutdowns in Arizona and Mississippi. And not even the COVID-19 crisis could put a stop to this blatant voter suppression -- many of the states once subject to preclearance are now refusing to make vote-by-mail more accessible.
In December 2019, the House passed the Voting Rights Advancement Act -- a new, updated version of the Voting Rights Act that restores key protections for voters -- as Rep. Lewis himself held the gavel.
But the bill has remained untouched on Mitch McConnell’s desk for months, even though the Senate voted unanimously to renew the VRA in 2006. So while McConnell calls Lewis an “American hero” and lauds his pioneering work -- he is also stonewalling the bill that Lewis risked his life for. [1]
If you believe that Mitch McConnell and the Senate must pass the Voting Rights Advancement Act, add your name today. As Rep. Lewis said: "We have come too far and made too much progress to stop now."
1) https://twitter.com/senatemajldr/status/1284344881117364225