Degette Statement on Advancement of Voting Rights Act

Statement

U.S. Rep. Diana DeGette (D-CO) issued the following statement after the U.S. House of Representatives voted today to send the Freedom to Vote: John R. Lewis Act to the Senate for urgent consideration:

"Ensuring every eligible American has an opportunity to exercise their right to vote is a fundamental part of our democracy. Last year, alone, 19 states passed 34 new laws to make it harder for people -- mostly communities of color -- to vote.

"These efforts to sabotage our elections by suppressing the vote of Black and Brown communities across the country goes against everything our nation stands for. The need for Congress to act to protect our Democracy -- and the right of every American to have a say in our government -- cannot be overstated.

"The House took another major step in that fight today by combining the Freedom to Vote Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act into one piece of legislation and sending it to the Senate for urgent consideration. With the future of our Democracy at stake, it is imperative that the Senate take up and pass this legislation immediately."

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