Civil and Human Rights Coalition Responds to Sen. Grassley’s Irresponsible Mischaracterization of the VRA
WASHINGTON – Wade Henderson, president and CEO of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, issued the following statement in response to Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley’s mischaracterization of the Voting Rights Act (VRA) as a law intended to increase vote totals in minority communities rather than to stop voting discrimination. In response to a question about whether his committee would consider a restoration of the VRA in the wake of the Supreme Court’s decision in Shelby County v. Holder, which severely weakened the VRA, Chairman Grassley stated, “It depends on what you want to fix…If you want to fix more minorities voting, more minorities are already voting.” And he continued, “It seems to me it’s got to be different than the original intent of the Voting Rights Act because, in the last 50 years, it’s made great progress.”:
“It’s irresponsible for Chairman Grassley to fundamentally mischaracterize the intent of the Voting Rights Act. To insinuate that the VRA was designed to drive up vote totals in minority communities shows real disregard for the voting discrimination that inspired the nation to adopt the law and persists today in the wake of the Shelby decision.
Since the VRA was gutted in 2013, voting discrimination has flourished across the nation as states and localities rushed to push through laws that made it harder for minorities to vote. In the lead-up to the 2014 election, a resurgence of laws to limit early voting, increase barriers to voting, and dilute minority voting strength through redistricting have put the right to vote in more danger than at any time in the past 50 years.
Senator Grassley’s statements betray his obligation to legislate as Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, which is responsible for protecting voters from discrimination. This committee must approve any VRA restoration and it’s imperative that Chairman Grassley understands this law’s intent and demonstrates that he can make informed choices about how to legislate this fix.
In a year when the nation is commemorating the 50th anniversary of the VRA, we urge Chairman Grassley to reconsider his position and to work diligently with his colleagues to restore the Voting Rights Act.”
Wade Henderson is president and CEO of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, a coalition charged by its diverse membership of more than 200 national organizations to promote and protect the rights of all persons in the United States. The Leadership Conference works toward an America as good as its ideals. For more information on The Leadership Conference and its 200-plus member organizations, visit www.civilrights.org.
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