Act Now to Stop Congressional Republicans from Gutting the Voting Rights Act

by James Parks, Jul 13, 2006

Despite strong bipartisan support to renew key portions of the Voting Rights Act, the House leadership is allowing a small, vocal band of extremist Southern Republicans from Georgia, Texas and other states to introduce four amendments that could gut the bill  (H.R. 9) when it comes to the House floor as early as today.

In a letter to House members, AFL-CIO Legislative Director Bill Samuel says this:

The AFL-CIO urges you to support H.R. 9 and to oppose all proposed amendments to this vital legislation. H.R. 9 is a direct response to the evidence of discrimination that was gathered during 10 oversight hearings held in the House during the 109th Congress. It addresses this compelling record by renewing critical provisions of the Voting Rights Act for 25 years and restoring the ability of the Attorney General to block implementation of voting changes motivated by a discriminatory purpose.

The Leadership Conference on Civil Rights (LCCR) and the AFL-CIO are urging people to contact their members of Congress to support the Voting Rights Act by calling 1-866-808-0065. Ask for your representative and telling him or her to support H.R. 9 and oppose any weakening amendments.

On an 8–3 party-line vote, the House Rules Committee agreed Wednesday to allow debate on the amendments to the Voting Rights Act, formally titled the Fannie Lou Hamer, Rosa Parks and Coretta Scott King Voting Rights Act Reauthorization and Amendments Act of 2006 (H.R. 9 and S. 2703).

The amendments would eliminate provisions that require states covered under the law to provide bilingual voting assistance to voters whose first language is not English. Other amendments, if passed, would shrink the reauthorization period to only 10 years, less than half of the 25 years provided in the existing bill.

The other two amendments would weaken the provisions that require states with a documented history of discrimination to get approval from the U.S. Justice Department for any changes to voting laws and make it easier for states to bail out of the law’s requirements.

Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.), a major figure in the 1960s civil rights struggle, says the amendments “gut the very heart and soul of the voting rights law. It’s a step backwards. It’s not a step forward.”

House Judiciary Chairman James Sensenbrenner (R-Wis.), who is spearheading the reauthorization, along with Rep. Mel Watt (D-N.C.), chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus, also vowed to oppose the amendments. A committee spokesman says Sensenbrenner

…will be opposing the amendments and supporting the bill as reported by the Judiciary Committee…and as supported by the bicameral, bipartisan leadership of Congress as well as civil rights groups and leaders of the House and Senate Judiciary committees.

Many of those opposing the bill, led by Georgia Republicans Lynn Westmoreland and Charlie Norwood, represent states with some of the most egregious records of discrimination in voting, according to the LCCR, which includes the AFL-CIO and several affiliated unions.

The strength of the bill’s bipartisan support was shown when the House Judiciary Committee in May sent it to the floor without amendments on a 33–1 vote. Meanwhile, the Senate Judiciary Committee is scheduled to mark up the bill today.
 

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