Washington, D.C. — Today, the House passed the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act (H.R. 4). The bill would strengthen voting rights across the country and restore the Voting Rights Act of 1964, after the essential pre-clearance protections were stripped from the bill in Shelby County v. Holder (2013).

Stephany Spaulding, Just Democracy Coalition Member and Founder of Truth and Conciliation, issued the following statement:

“The passage of H.R.4 is an essential step to protect the voting rights of Black and Brown Americans. But we’re stuck in a doom loop of democracy, where once again we need the Senate to act, but our cries for voting rights have been silenced by the filibuster. This is a crisis moment for our democracy, and Congress cannot wait any longer to combat the tide of voter suppression sweeping across the nation. 

That’s why we’re marching in cities across the country in the March On for Voting Rights on August 28th — our lives are at stake and we will not be silent. Thousands of people will demand that Congress pass the For the People Act, the John Lewis Voting Rights Act, and the Washington D.C. Admissions Act –– and to achieve that, our only option is to eliminate the Jim Crow filibuster.”

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About Just Democracy

Just Democracy is an intersectional coalition with racial justice at its core — uplifting voices from all walks of American life that are too often left out of the conversation. The coalition is made up of over 40 Black and Brown-led organizations working across issue areas. It mobilizes thousands who know that advancing social and racial justice issues first requires bold structural democracy reform.

To speak with a Just Democracy spokesperson, please email press@justdemocracy.us