To commemorate the 58th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act, DNC Chair Jaime Harrison and DNC Black Caucus Chair Virgie Rollins released the following statement: 

“58 years ago, after tireless activism and organizing by members of the Civil Rights Movement, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Voting Rights Act of 1965 into law. This landmark piece of bipartisan legislation removed historic barriers to voting that were designed to disenfranchise and silence the voices of Americans of color. Today, we honor the generations of Americans who have sacrificed and dedicated themselves to fighting for our sacred right to vote by continuing to raise good trouble until all Americans have equal access to the ballot box. 

“Although Democrats and Republicans came together to pass the Voting Rights Act in a bipartisan manner, in recent years, Republicans have attacked voting rights  through increased restrictions on mail-in ballots, harsher voting requirements, election disinformation, and more. Despite these setbacks, one thing is clear: the law is on our side and recent victories such as Allen v. Milligan demonstrate that the Voting Rights Act still serves to protect historically marginalized voices. 

“Make no mistake about it: from the Voting Rights Act through present day, the Democratic Party has been the party of voting rights because we know that our democracy is strongest when all eligible Americans can make their voices heard. On this anniversary, we remain fiercely dedicated to advancing voting rights through federal legislation like the Freedom to Vote Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act – and we will not stop until Congress sends these bills to President Biden’s desk.”