CONGRESSMAN BISHOP CO-LEADS LEGISLATION, NAMED IN HONOR OF JOHN LEWIS, TO RESTORE & MODERNIZE VOTING RIGHTS ACT PROTECTIONS

WASHINGTON – Today, Congressman Sanford D. Bishop, Jr. (GA02) co-led the introduction of H.R. 14, the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, which would protect the right to vote and safeguard American democracy by restoring and modernizing the full protections of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 (VRA). It is named in honor of the late John Lewis, an iconic leader of the Civil Rights Movement and longtime leader in Congress representing Georgians. While in Congress, John Lewis led this legislation which was supported by Congressman Bishop.

“The ballot box should be easily accessible to all U.S. citizens so that they can safely cast their vote in transparent elections,” said Congressman Bishop. “This bill, which honors my friend and colleague, John Lewis, continues his legacy as a civil rights leader and member of Congress to restore crucial protections for voters and protect the sacred franchise which is a cornerstone of our democracy so that all citizens’ voices will be heard in our elections.”

Ten years ago, the Supreme Court gutted the VRA and unleashed a wave of discriminatory state laws targeting voters and restricting voting access. The John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act would establish a new, contemporary framework to determine which states and localities have a recent history of discrimination and require such jurisdictions to preclear new election changes, preventing restrictive and discriminatory voting laws from taking effect. The bill also restores Section 2 of the VRA by eliminating the heightened standard required to challenge discriminatory voting laws created by the Supreme Court in Brnovich v. DNC.

For decades, the Voting Rights Act of 1965 (VRA) prevented states and localities with a history of voter discrimination from restricting voting access by requiring such jurisdictions to preclear new election laws with the Department of Justice or a U.S. District Court. However, in its disastrous 2013 decision in Shelby County v. Holder, the Supreme Court gutted the law and struck down the formula used to determine which jurisdictions are subject to federal oversight. In July 2021, the Court further weakened the law in its decision in Brnovich v. DNC, making it more difficult to challenge discriminatory voting laws under Section 2.

In the decade since the Supreme Court gutted the VRA, state legislators have advanced hundreds of new restrictive, discriminatory voting laws targeting minorities, young adults, and the elderly. In 2023, state legislators passed a near-record number of new restrictive voting laws, according to the Brennan Center for Justice.

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