Reid Slams VRA Ruling: 2012 Election Shows ‘Bigotry Still Exists In Our Country’
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) responded forcefully on Tuesday to the Supreme Court's decision on the Voting Rights Act, decrying the ruling to gut the landmark 1965 law as " extreme judicial activism."
Reid pointed to the voter suppression efforts pushed last year by many Republican governors as evidence that the landmark civil rights law is still necessary.
“We need look no further than the recent election to see the unfortunate reality that bigotry still exists in our country," Reid said in a statement. "In 2012, there were efforts in some states to do everything possible to suppress voter turnout in minority communities. This is unacceptable, and it is a reminder of the importance of the Voting Rights Act. We should be doing everything possible to encourage participation in the democratic process and ensure every eligible voter is able to exercise his or her right to cast a ballot."
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“Today’s Supreme Court decision striking down a key part of the Voting Rights Act is a deeply disappointing example of extreme judicial activism. The Court’s conservative majority effectively ignored the Senate’s clear and unambiguous affirmation of the Voting Rights Act by a vote of ninety-eight to zero, a reauthorization that was signed into law by President Bush. This case was wrongly decided and will unjustly threaten the right to vote for millions of Americans across this country. This decision poses a special threat to voter participation among African Americans and Hispanic Americans, who have historically and disproportionately experienced discrimination when voting.
http://livewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/entry/reid-slams-vra-ruling-2012-election-shows-bigotry
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