Washington D.C. – U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell (AL-07) released the following statement regarding today’s ruling by the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals’ gutting Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act:

“This ruling by the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals is deeply disturbing and wrong as a matter of law. If allowed to stand, it would be the death knell of the Voting Rights Act, stripping individuals and civil rights groups of their ability to fight back against voter discrimination in court. The Supreme Court must reverse this disastrous ruling without delay.

“I’m calling on Congress to immediately pass the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act. We cannot allow extremists to strip away the remaining protections of the VRA.”