Press Releases
Rep. Sewell Joins President Biden and Vice President Harris in Atlanta, Releases Statement Following Voting Rights Speech
January 11, 2022
Atlanta, GA — Today, U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell (AL-07) traveled to Atlanta, Georgia, with President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris as they delivered remarks about the need to protect the sacred right to vote. Following President Biden’s address, Rep. Sewell released the following statement:
“President Biden’s strong and forceful speech made clear exactly what is at stake as we face the most coordinated effort to restrict the right to vote in a generation. I applaud him for his bold stance in support of reforming Senate rules to pass the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act.
“Our nation is at an inflection point. Soon, voting rights legislation will go to the Senate floor and each Senator will have the chance to make their stance known to the American people. As President Biden said, history will judge each Senator for what they do in this critical moment. Will they choose to uphold the legacy of the Foot Soldiers like John Lewis who shed blood on a bridge in my hometown for the right of all Americans to vote? Or will they choose to enable the erosion of our democracy at the hands of those who have always sought to silence us?
“As we prepare to observe the birthday of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., let us remember that justice delayed is justice denied. The time for talk is over. The time to act is now.”
Photos of today’s visit can be viewed here.
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Rep. Terri Sewell is the author and lead sponsor of H.R. 4, the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, which would restore the full protections of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 after it was gutted by the Supreme Court in 2013. She also serves as Co-Chair of the Congressional Voting Rights Caucus. On August 24, 2021, H.R. 4 passed the House of Representatives by a vote of 219-213. On November 3, 2021, it failed in the Senate after nearly every Senate Republican voted to block debate on the bill. In the absence of robust Republican support, Congresswoman Sewell has led her colleagues in calling on the Senate to reform its rules and pass H.R. 4.