Today, Congresswoman Lizzie Fletcher (TX-07) became an original co-sponsor of the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, H.R. 14.  This legislation restores the full protections of the Voting Rights Act (VRA) of 1965 and restores federal oversight for states with a recent history of voter discrimination.  

“Voting is the very foundation of our democracy,” said Congresswoman Lizzie Fletcher.  “It is the act from which everything else flows.  We must ensure that all eligible American voters can have their voices heard at the ballot box.  Unfortunately, we have seen an increasing assault on the ability to exercise this right and responsibility of citizenship in Texas and across the country.  I am proud to work with leaders in Congress to advance this vital legislation as an original co-sponsor.  Congress has the responsibility to protect voters’ access to the ballot box, and passage of the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act is vital to fulfilling that responsibility.” 

H.R. 14 restores the full promise of the VRA by:

·         Establishing a targeted process for reviewing voting changes based on measures that have historically been used to discriminate against voters;

·         Amending Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act to address the Supreme Court’s decision in Brnovich v. DNC, which eliminated the heightened standard for challenging voter discrimination;

·         Ensuring federal courts immediately halt questionable voting practices until a final ruling is made. This provision recognizes that when voting rights are at stake, prohibiting a discriminatory practice after the election has concluded is too late to truly protect voters' rights;

·         Giving the Attorney General authority to request that federal observers be present anywhere in the country where discriminatory voting practices pose a serious threat;

·         Increasing transparency by requiring reasonable public notice for voting changes;

·         Eliminating arbitrary barriers that limit voters’ ability to obtain injunctive relief for voting rights violations in the lead up to an election;

·         Establishing a grant program for small jurisdictions to help them comply with the bill’s various notice requirements.