WASHINGTON (Gray DC) – Democrats say, too often, states pass laws making it too difficult to vote. They want to require states that repeatedly commit voting rights violations to pass future voting changes by the Department of Justice.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), said voting rights are under attack across America.
“Republicans in many ways have decided that voter suppression is an electoral strategy.”
Rep. Terri Sewell (D-Ala.), has introduced a bill that would penalize states found guilty of multiple voting rights violations over several years, by requiring them to answer Justice Department questions on any proposed changes before they can be implemented.
“In 2024, state legislators proposed at least 317 bills to make it harder for Americans to cast their ballot, and almost 20 of those bills were signed into law.”
The bill is named after the late civil rights activist John Lewis, who was attacked by state troopers during a 1965 march known as Bloody Sunday.
“This bill honors a man, a legend, an icon, who believed that defending the right to vote was getting into good trouble,” Rep Katherine Clark (D-Mass.), said.
Democrats say voter suppression efforts tend to impact minority voters the most.
“We love our country,” Rep. Pete Aguilar (D-Calif.), said. “We want to make it better. And we want every American to have the same opportunity.”
The bill has failed to attract Republican votes in past sessions of Congress.
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