3 Years With No Voting Rights Update

By: Meredith Kelly

It’s been three years since the Supreme Court struck down key voting rights protections for millions of Americans. Since then, Speaker Ryan and House Republicans have yet to hold a vote to restore those voting rights, ahead of what will be the first presidential election without those critical protections.

With Donald Trump’s racist campaign leading the Republican Party, inaction is not surprising. Speaker Ryan’s Judiciary Committee Chairman, Bob Goodlatte, who recently backed the anti-constitutional and racist measure to end birthright citizenship, has made no plans to bring voting rights legislation to the floor and continues to stall the measure in committee.

It’s clear that Republicans are falling in line behind their racist standard bearer Donald Trump, who has a history of making racially insensitive remarks against African Americans.

“It’s been three years since the Supreme Court struck down critical voting protections and now there are just 9 legislative days left to bring the voting rights update to the floor,” said Jermaine House of DCCC.   “Speaker Ryan and House Republicans’ refusal to bring a Voting Rights Act update to the floor shows that they have completely capitulated under the pressure of Trump’s racist rhetoric, and as a result, this year millions of voters could go to the ballot without critical protections of their constitutional rights.”