Congresswoman Terri Sewell issued the following statement after Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska signed on to the Voting Rights Advancement Act of 2015 as a co-sponsor.

“I am excited that the Voting Rights Advancement Act of 2015 has bipartisan support in the Senate. Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska became the first Republican to support the bill, and I am hopeful that other Republicans – in both the House and Senate – will join our efforts to restore federal voting protections.

“The Voting Rights Advancement Act reaffirms our commitment to voter equality and creating more pathways to voter access. The updated coverage ensures that states, like Alabama, are required to obtain preclearance for changes to voting practices and procedures and includes critical protections for Native Americans, naturalized citizens, and disabled voters.

“It is my hope that Congress rises to the challenge issued that the Supreme Court issued us. The Voting Rights Advancement Act contains a modern-day formula that requires states and localities with a recent history of racial discrimination in voting to seek approval from the U.S. Department of Justice before making any changes to their electoral laws.

“The landmark Voting Rights Act of 1965 was born out of the struggle for voting equality, and addressed the need to expand federal voting protections so that no citizen is denied his or her constitutionally-guaranteed right to vote. The fate of our democracy rests with each and every citizen’s right to vote.”

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