League of Women Voters Praises U.S. House Passage of the Voting Rights Advancement Act

The Senate must pass the VRAA to restore full Voting Rights Act before 2020 

WASHINGTON – Today the U.S. House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed H.R. 4, the Voting Rights Advancement Act, by a bipartisan vote. The VRAA restores protections of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 that were stripped by the U.S. Supreme Court in 2013. 

“Today's vote is exactly what the American voters need to see right now: representatives working for the people to make our elections more accessible and strengthen voter protections for people of color,” said Chris Carson, president of the board of the League of Women Voters of the United States. “In recent years, we have seen voter suppression increase across the country, but passing the VRAA is a major step towards correcting these injustices.”  

This legislation restores the protections against racial discrimination in voting that the Supreme Court rolled back in the Shelby County v. Holder decision of 2013. The elimination of these protections has made it easier for states and localities to practice discriminatory actions that restrict the voting rights of millions of minorities across the country. 

"While we celebrate this moment, it is important to remember that for a full victory the Senate must pass the Voting Rights Advancement Act to restore our ability to mitigate racial discrimination in our elections,” said Virginia Kase, CEO of the League of Women Voters of the United States. “Now is the time to get this done ahead of next year’s critical elections so that we can have free and fair elections that build the representative democracy America deserves.”   

The League provided testimony and evidence at hearings around the country held by U.S. House Committees collecting evidence of the continued discrimination that voters face to vote and will be meeting with Senators to discuss how to move this measure forward. The League was also active on Capitol Hill, meeting with Representatives to encourage their support, while also engaging our members and supporters to send thousands of letters in support of passage of the final bill. 

As the VRAA advances to the Senate, the League of Women Voters looks forward to working with Senators to ensure full passage of this vital legislation.  

Contact: Sarah Courtney | 202-263-1332 | [email protected]