Today, Congresswoman Lizzie Fletcher (TX-07) marked the 60th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 (VRA) and condemned Republican efforts to undermine it.  The landmark bill, which President Lyndon B. Johnson signed into law, prohibits states from discriminating against voters based on race or background.  The anniversary comes as Texas Governor Greg Abbott and Republicans, at the direction of President Trump, engage in racial gerrymandering of congressional districts in violation of the Voting Rights Act.

“Sixty years ago today, the United States made clear that its founding principle that people have the right to have a say in our democratic government applies to all Americans by enacting the Voting Rights Act, which President Lyndon Baines Johnson from Texas signed into law,” said Congresswoman Lizzie Fletcher.  “This law represents the progress and the power of people working together to make real the promise of America – that all citizens are created equal and have an equal say in our democratic society.  We should be celebrating this progress today, but instead we are fighting efforts to undo it.  As a member of Congress, I will continue to do all I can to protect and restore the Voting Rights Act and the principles it represents.”

Congresswoman Fletcher is an original cosponsor of the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, H.R. 14, which restores the full protections of the VRA and restores federal oversight for states with a recent history of voter discrimination.