Washington, D.C. — Today, following the Supreme Court’s ruling in Louisiana v. Callais, Congressman Jim Himes (CT-04) issued the following statement:
“The passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 was a monumental achievement in American history. Generations of Black Americans were systematically – often brutally – denied the right to vote until that landmark law finally allowed communities of color to fully participate in our democracy. Today’s Supreme Court decision to gut the Voting Rights Act has set us back decades in our collective effort to ensure every American can make their voice heard at the ballot box.
“Today’s opinion is an affront to the legacy of Civil Rights heroes like Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks, and Congressman John Lewis. With their strength, wisdom, and resolve in mind, House Democrats will fight any and every effort to silence minority voices through racial gerrymandering and voter suppression. My colleagues and I will not rest until the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act is enacted into law so that this country can finally leave its shameful history of race-based disenfranchisement behind.”