Shelby Decision Three Years Later

Floor Speech

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Ms. SEWELL of Alabama. Mr. Speaker, today on Restoration Tuesday, I rise to draw attention to the coming three-year anniversary of the Supreme Court Shelby v. Holder decision and the damage that it inflicted on our democratic process.

In 2013, the Supreme Court of the United States handed down a decision that simply called for an update of the formula used to determine which states required federal preclearance prior to enacting legislation affecting the voting process. Shortly after, a number of states, including Alabama, quickly passed restrictive laws designed to suppress the vote after the Supreme Court struck down Section 4--the coverage formula provision making it harder of federal protection for vulnerable communities. Since the decision, new restrictive laws have been put in place in 22 states--18 of them Republican led--since 2010. The Shelby decision made it easier to limit access to the ballot box. And so here we are . . . three years later.

We must accept the charge that the Supreme Court handed to provide a new modern day formula to determine when states are covered under the Voting Rights Act. In June of 2015 I rose to the challenge and introduced the Voting Rights Advancement Act of 2015. Most of the Democratic members have signed on as co-sponsors. Just last week, I signed a discharge petition on this legislation to force an immediate vote on the House floor. Still, there has been much talk on both sides with little collective action. We were given this challenge in 2013, but somehow, here we are . . . three years later.

The Voting Rights Act of 1965 was reauthorized nearly a decade ago and it is shameful that still today, people across the nation do not enjoy full and free access to exercise their right to vote. It is reprehensible that still in 2016, Americans across the nation continue to face modern day barriers to the ballot box. The time is always ripe to do what is right. As we continue to progress throughout this election year, it is especially critical that all Americans have fair and equal access to the ballot box. Our very democracy is built on the ability of every citizen being able to have their voices heard and vote counted. No Vote, No Voice. America cannot and must not be silenced.

After decades of progress that culminated with the Voting Rights Act of 1965, we are now going backward. Old battles have become new again. The guise of a free photo ID masks the various fees necessary to pay for documents needed to obtain the ID. This ``poll tax'' makes it harder to vote for those who are barely able to make ends meet. Many elderly are unable to acquire documents proving birth due to the high number of midwife births. These are real barriers affecting real people. Is it our job as Members of Congress to deny them the right to vote? Is this obstruction of the vote what we took from the Supreme Court instructing us to revisit and recreate a formula? Why are we still here . . . three years later?

My colleagues, we are approaching the first Presidential election since the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 without full protection of the law against discrimination at the ballot box. We must stand on the virtue of a true democracy, constantly striving to remove blemishes from our process. A year has passed since the introduction of the Voting Rights Advancement Act of 2015, and it is being held up in committee processes, instead of being pushed through to restore the voting process for all Americans. It is time to band together and fulfil that which we have been tasked to accomplish. Delay too long is justice denied. The time is now. We must Restore The Vote.

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