H.R. 4 – John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act of 2021: The right to vote is the cornerstone of our democracy and for more than 50 years the Voting Rights Act was there to protect everyone’s access to this basic tenet.
Many marched, bled and even died to establish these protections. The U.S. Supreme Court’s 2013 decision Shelby v. Holder gutted important protections to the right to vote. Voter suppression campaigns, voter roll purges and insidious barriers to the voting booth, including elimination of “preclearance” requirements in Florida swept the country.
By preventing states with a recent history of voter discrimination from restricting the right to vote, this bill restores the full promise of our democracy. Passage of the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act will restore important, modern protections to the right to vote ensuring that every eligible American voter has the ability to have their voice heard.