Cindy Carr, cindy.carr@sierraclub.org
WASHINGTON, DC -- Today, Representative Terri Sewell re-introduced the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act (VRAA) for the first time since 2019. The VRAA aims to restore and strengthen the full power of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and will restore and expand Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, which was gutted by the Supreme Court earlier this summer.
This year alone, 49 states have introduced nearly 400 bills restricting Americans’ access to the polls. Passage of the VRAA will ensure that any future discriminatory anti-voter bills will be reviewed and rejected before they are implemented in states that attempt to enact them.
In response, Sierra Club Democracy Program Director Courtney Hight released the following statement:
“The Sierra Club applauds Rep. Sewell and Democratic House leadership for continuing to work for the people by protecting the right to vote and the bedrock of our democracy. We know that our civil rights, our health, our jobs and our environment depend on the health of our democracy, and our democracy is only healthy if we have a fully fair and functioning election system that enables all Americans -- regardless of their race, their zip code, or how much money they make -- to have their voices heard. The VRAA will move us one important step closer toward achieving that goal.
“The Sierra Club proudly rises with our allies to call on the House and Senate to pass the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act without delay.”
About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with more than 3.5 million members and supporters. In addition to protecting every person's right to get outdoors and access the healing power of nature, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.