In the News

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 21, 2021 

CONTACT: Remmington F. Belford
Remmington.Belford@Mail.House.gov

CONGRESSIONAL BLACK CAUCUS CALLS ON THE SENATE TO RECONVENE AND PASS VOTING RIGHTS LEGISLATION

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressional Black Caucus Chairwoman Joyce Beatty (OH-03) and members of the Congressional Black Caucus are standing for the American people and will continue to demand justice for voting rights. 

Congressional Black Caucus Chairwoman Joyce Beatty said “in the words of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., “the fierce urgency of now” calls for the Senate to immediately bring voting rights legislation to a vote. As the Conscience of the Congress, voting rights remains a primary focus of the Congressional Black Caucus. Black communities across the nation stand to lose the most if the Senate does not do its job and pass voting rights legislation. Every citizen is entitled to an equal opportunity to participate in our democracy. This must not be filibustered. Voting rights has been a bipartisan issue reauthorized by four republican administrations, and it is time to send it to President Biden’s desk for reauthorization.” 

“The Congressional Black Caucus stands with Martin Luther King, III, in saying “we must restore the very voting rights protections Dr. King and countless other civil rights leaders bled to secure.” How can we commemorate the legacy of a man who dedicated his life to voting rights, and then allow inaction when the looming threat of Jim-Crow era suppression threatens to dismantle every stride Dr. King worked to achieve?” 

"The recent wave of voter suppression is a stain on our democracy. The Senate owes it to the American people to return from their holiday break and protect the sacred freedom to vote," said Congressman Steven Horsford."Over our fifty years as the Conscience of the Congress, the Congressional Black Caucus has used Our Power and Our Message to lead the fight for voting rights. Today, we call on the Senate to do their job and pass the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act into law." Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee reminds us “the right to vote is a powerful instrument that can break down the walls of injustice and must be protected against attack from all enemies, foreign and domestic, using all the legal tools at our disposal. We must all do our part to preserve this most important heritage because it was earned with the sacrifices and the lives of our ancestors. It is time for the Senate to act by protecting and expanding the right to vote. 

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Since its establishment in 1971, the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) has been committed to using the full Constitutional power, statutory authority, and financial resources of the federal government to ensure that African Americans and other marginalized communities in the United States have the opportunity to achieve the American Dream. The Caucus is Chaired by Congresswoman Joyce Beatty. As part of this commitment, the CBC has fought for the past 48 years to empower these citizens and address their legislative concerns.