Cindy Carr, or cindy.carr@sierraclub.org
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Today, the House of Representatives voted to pass H.R. 4, the Voting Rights Advancement Act (VRAA), which aims to restore and modernize the full power of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. In the six years since the Supreme Court gutted the original Voting Rights Act, numerous states across the country have enacted restrictive and destructive tactics to purge voters from the rolls and make it more difficult for historically disenfranchised communities -- including African American, Latinx, elderly, and young people -- to cast their votes.
In response, Sierra Club Democracy Program Director Courtney Hight released the following statement:
"The Sierra Club applauds House Democratic leadership for taking a stand for voting rights and the bedrock of our democracy. We need a fully fair and functioning election system that enables all Americans -- regardless of their race, where they live, or how much money they make -- to voice their opinions on the issues they care most about, which means ensuring that every eligible voter has the opportunity to fairly choose who represents their communities at the local, state, and federal level. Voting and our democracy must transcend partisan politics, and it is truly shameful that only one House Republican voted to protect the voting rights of their constituents. The Senate must pass this bill as soon as possible.”
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Read the Sierra Club’s letter of support for H.R. 4 here.
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.