Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) joined the Democratic chorus Wednesday voicing outrage at the Supreme Court decision that Section 4 of the Voting Rights Act cannot be enforced unless Congress comes up with an up-to-date formula for deciding which states and localities still need federal monitoring:
“I’m deeply disappointed that a narrow 5-4 majority of the Supreme Court struck down Section 4 of the Voting Rights Act today. The fact that Section 4 of the Voting Rights Act has been an effective tool to protect voting rights is a reason to let it stand, not to end it. I was a member of the House Judiciary Committee in 2006 when we undertook a bipartisan reauthorization of the Voting Rights Act by carefully calibrating the preclearance requirement to states and localities with histories of voting discrimination.
“In the wake of the Court’s decision today, Congress must again take up the Voting Rights Act to update the Section 4 coverage formula and ensure that the right of all Americans to participate in the democratic process – regardless of race or ethnicity – is protected.”
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