“On this day fifty-six years ago, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Voting Rights Act of 1965, marking a historic step forward in the fight for American civil rights and an important victory for countless activists who put their lives on the line to convert the promise of equal access to the ballot for people of color into a reality. But the work that yielded us this critical legislation and protection is still not finished because progress forged by the Voting Rights Act is under assault from Republican officials across the country. 

“The threat to our foundational right to vote is greater than it has been in decades: In addition to the Supreme Court’s gutting of key provisions of the Voting Rights Act, this year alone we’ve seen hundreds of anti-voter bills introduced in state legislatures across the country, aimed at throwing obstacles in the way of Americans who seek to make their voices heard. 

“Democrats believe our country is stronger when more people can participate in our democracy, not fewer — that’s why the DNC announced a historic expansion of our I Will Vote initiative to meet this moment and fight back against these disgraceful Republican voter suppression efforts. And we join in President Biden’s call for Congress to send critical voting rights legislation — like the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act and the For the People Act— to his desk to protect our sacred right to vote. In the spirit of our dearly missed friend John Lewis, we will continue to get into the good trouble necessary to ensure the Voting Rights Act and its promise of equality are fully realized.”