Restore the Vote
Floor Speech
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
Ms. SEWELL of Alabama. Mr. Speaker, today I rise on #RestorationTuesday to honor the foot soldiers of the Voting Rights Movement. On March 7th of last year, while aboard Air Force One en route to Selma for the 50th Anniversary of Bloody Sunday, President Obama signed the legislation I introduced to award the Congressional Gold Medal to the Foot Soldiers who participated in Bloody Sunday, Turnaround Tuesday, and the final Selma to Montgomery Voting Rights Marches in 1965. On that day, 50 years after the march, thousands of grateful Americans gathered in my hometown to celebrate and honor the brave foot soldiers and all they sacrificed in pursuit of equality, justice, and voting rights. Democrats stood side by side with Republicans, and the first African American President in our nation's history stood next to President George W. Bush who reauthorized the Voting Rights Act just nine years earlier. On that day, we shed our party loyalties and came together as Americans. Sadly, I stand on the floor of the House almost one year later, and Republicans continue to refuse to bring legislation to restore voting rights to the floor for a simple up or down vote. The progress that was paid for with the blood of the foot soldiers is being rolled back, and Congress has done nothing. Tomorrow, Republicans and Democrats will come together again, this time in our Nation's Capitol, to award the Congressional Gold Medal to the foot soldiers who showed such bravery 50 years ago. They deserve to be recognized by our country's leaders, but this Congress should be giving them much more than a medal. They should protect the sacred voting rights that these brave men and women marched for 50 years ago. As we are joined tomorrow by the foot soldiers of the Civil Rights Movement, I beg my colleagues to reflect on the sacrifice they made, as well as the ideals they fought for. These heroic everyday Americans were confronted with violence and injustice, but were not discouraged from fighting for their God given rights. I hope that their presence can inspire every member of this Congress to #RestoreTheVote.
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
Source