Majority Leader Schumer Floor Remarks On The Reintroduction of John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act

Washington, D.C. – Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) today spoke on the Senate floor regarding the reintroduction of John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act. Below are Senator Schumer’s remarks, which can also be viewed here:

Later today, I’ll join several of my Democratic colleagues at a press conference to mark the reintroduction of the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act.

John Lewis once said, “Democracy is not a state. It is an act, and each generation must do its part to help build what we called the Beloved Community…” That’s what John Lewis said.

With this legislation, we are not only honoring John Lewis and his lifetime fight for voting rights, we are also committing to doing our part to expand access to the ballot box and end voter discrimination, which has plagued this republic since its founding.

I’ll have more to say later, but recent history makes it absolutely clear that we need these protections on the books. MAGA Republicans across the country are continuing their dangerous crusade, self-serving, to restrict access to the ballot box – particularly when it comes to people of color – ahead of the November election.

So, Democrats will continue to heed the words of our late colleague, John Lewis, and will work tirelessly to safeguard the right to vote and our democracy, advancing the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act and the Freedom to Vote Act. We can and must build a more responsive democracy, and a more perfect union.

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