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Press Release

Brennan Center Statement in Support of the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act; Introduced today

House of Representatives expected to vote on the legislation next week.

Last Updated: August 17, 2021
Published: August 17, 2021

For Immediate Release
August 17, 2021

Contact: Julian Brookes, julian.brookes@nyu.edu, 646–673–6224

The U.S. House of Representatives today introduced the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act. The legislation would combat racial discrimination in voting by restoring and strengthening the protections of the Voting Rights Act — protections gutted by the U.S. Supreme Court in 2013 and further weakened earlier this year.

Wendy R. Weiser, vice president of the Democracy program at the Brennan Center for Justice, had this reaction:

“At a moment when states across the country are passing restrictive voting laws targeted at voters of color, the need for a strong Voting Rights Act couldn’t be more urgent. For decades, until the Supreme Court gutted its core protections, the VRA stood as a key defense against the threat of voting discrimination. We need it to play that role once again. The John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act would restore and strengthen the VRA. It’s now critical that Congress pass this legislation, along with the For the People Act, to safeguard the freedom to vote and the chance for fair representation for millions of Americans.”

Resources on the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act