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Schakowsky Votes to Advance Voting Rights Bill to the Senate

January 13, 2022

WASHINGTON—Today, Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky, a Senior Chief Deputy Whip and Chair of the Consumer Protection and Commerce Subcommittee of the Energy and Commerce Committee, voted to pass the Freedom to Vote: John R. Lewis Act, a historic bill that takes key provisions from the Senate negotiated Freedom to Vote Act and H.R. 4, the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act. She issued the following statement after the vote:

"Today I was proud to vote for and help pass the Freedom to Vote: John R. Lewis Act. One of the greatest honors of my career was to serve with John Lewis, and one of the greatest honors of my life was to call him a friend. It was in his memory – our ‘conscience of Congress' – that the House passed this urgently needed legislation to restore and protect the right to vote of all Americans.

"Our democracy is under attack. We have seen the worst voter suppression campaign since the Jim Crow era. We have seen corporations and the ultra-wealthy wield undue influence. We have seen foreign actors interfere in our elections. It's time we return power to the people.

"The Freedom to Vote: John R. Lewis Act will ensure safe, secure, and accessible elections for all, and will enhance the ability of every American to cast their ballots freely, equally and without interference. It will improve access to the ballot for all Americans including seniors and people with disabilities, restore the right to vote to formerly incarcerated people who have already served their time, implement election integrity reforms, protect our democracy from emerging threats, and restore the Voting Rights Act to its full force. The bill will also put an end to partisan gerrymandering, and will root out the undue influence of dark, special interest money in our politics.

"The House has acted repeatedly over the last 3 years to protect and expand voting rights. It is time the Senate do the same. Even if it means adjusting Senate rules to allow a simple majority to pass the bill. Our rights and our democracy depend on it."

Read a helpful fact sheet on the legislation here.

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