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The U.S. House of Representatives听this week took听a significant听鈥� 补苍诲听desperately needed听鈥撎齭tep to听safeguard American听democracy听and prevent听unnecessary and discriminatory听barriers to voting erected by anti-voter state legislatures听like those here in the Deep South.听We salute the defenders of democracy in the chamber for听listening to 补苍诲听standing up for voters here and across the country, particularly Black voters and other historically disenfranchised听communities.听

The U.S. Senate now must do its job.听If passed by the听upper chamber听and signed into law, the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act (HR 4) will听restore the Voting Rights Act听(VRA)听of 1965 to its full strength听鈥撎齨ecessary today as it was when听the late听John R.听Lewis and other voting rights activists marched across听the Edmund Pettus听Bridge听in 1965听in听Selma, Alabama.听

Among other provisions, HR 4 would restore 鈥減reclearance,鈥� the requirement that听states and localities with documented histories of racial discrimination in voting receive Department of Justice approval before implementing changes in voting laws and procedures to ensure the changes do not discriminate against voters based on race.

Since this requirement was eviscerated by a 2013 ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court, states have unleashed a torrent of new measures designed in part to suppress voting by people of color. HR 4 would also restore key protections for voters seeking to challenge discriminatory voting laws in court.听听

Recently, we submitted reports to Congress documenting ongoing voter discrimination in听Alabama,听Louisiana听补苍诲听Mississippi. And earlier this year, we sued Georgia听补苍诲听Florida听for elections-related laws passed this year.听

Protecting听and strengthening听Americans鈥櫶齬ight to vote听is听a听popular goal听for听the American public,听 补苍诲听.听听

The members of the House who voted against the bill听ignore听the fact that reauthorizations of the Voting Rights Act听have always been achieved through wide bipartisan margins and have been signed by Republican听presidents听Nixon, Ford, Reagan and George W. Bush. In 2006,听a Republican-controlled听Congress extended the law for 25 years听by a vote of听98-0 in the Senate and 390-33 in the听House of Representatives.听

As HR 4 moves to the Senate, some senators have already committed to doing everything in their power to oppose the bill 鈥� up to and including leveraging a legislative tool popular with听pro-Jim Crow senators听of听the past 鈥� to prevent听its passage听and to听further erode听the fundamental right to vote.听听

To protect the future of American democracy, the Senate may need to make the body majority-rule by abolishing the filibuster. So be it.听The danger of not doing so is far too significant for our nation and generations to come.听

The Voting Rights Act paved the way for tremendous gains and true political participation for some of the most marginalized members of our society. Even though John Lewis is not here standing in the flesh with us today, we must continue to invoke his spirit and continue the battle toward justice in the ways he taught us to do.听

Photo at top: Protesters march in front of the U.S. Supreme Court building in Washington, D.C., on Aug. 2, 2021, holding a poster with a picture of the late U.S. Rep. John Lewis. (Credit: Michael Nigro/Sipa USA)

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