WASHINGTON – The American Civil Liberties Union today applauded the House Judiciary Committee’s near-unanimous decision, by a vote of 33 to 1, to advance the bipartisan and bicameral “Fannie Lou Hamer, Rosa Parks and Coretta Scott King Reauthorization and Amendments Act of 2006” (H.R. 9).  H.R. 9 would renew key provisions of the landmark Voting Rights Act (VRA), which are set to expire in 2007. 

The following can be attributed to Caroline Fredrickson, Director of the ACLU Washington Legislative Office:

“The ACLU applauds the bipartisan efforts of the House Judiciary Committee to protect the Voting Rights Act by advancing the Fannie Lou Hamer, Rosa Parks and Coretta Scott King Reauthorization and Amendments Act of 2006.  The committee vote demonstrates that renewal of the expiring provisions of the Voting Rights Act is an issue that cuts across party lines.  People of all political stripes recognize that fair and equal participation in the political process is a fundamental right, and the Voting Rights Act is an essential protection of this right for American citizens.”   

“While we have come a long way over the past 40 years, discrimination in voting still exists in the United States.  We call on Congress to pass H.R. 9 and S. 2703 and resist any efforts to dilute or weaken the bill.” 

To read more about the ACLU’s campaign to renew the Voting Rights Act, go to:
http://www.votingrights.org