Washington, DC – Today, Congresswoman Terri A. Sewell (AL-07) released the following statement on the first anniversary of the Supreme Court’s decision in Shelby County, AL v. Holder:

“A year ago today we faced a major setback when the Supreme Court dismantled the core of the Voting Rights Act (VRA) in Shelby County V. Holder. By striking down Section 4, the Court effectively left millions of voters without the protection of the most effective tool in American law to combat racial discrimination in voting. In light of this decision, new barriers to voting have been legitimized in state legislatures across the country, including Alabama. As a result, Alabama’s voter-ID law went into effect without being subjected to federal scrutiny and Alabama’s voters have already started paying the price. We simply cannot afford to retreat to the days when barriers to voting rights were the norm,” said Rep. Sewell. 

“Congress should act NOW to restore the VRA so that allvulnerable communities, like those in Alabama, are protected under the preclearance provision. We, as elected officials, must tear down barriers to voting— not erect new ones.  It is inexcusable for Congress to do nothing to restore the protections of the VRA.  Therefore, I remain committed to working within the bipartisan efforts being taken by the House and Senate Judiciary Committees to address the Supreme Court’s ruling in the Shelby case, and I will continue to work to strengthen this critical legislation.”

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