Washington, D.C. — Today, Eric H. Holder, Jr., the 82nd Attorney General of the United States and Chairman of the National Democratic Redistricting Committee (NDRC), released the following statement in response to the reintroduction of the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act (JLVRAA) in the U.S. Senate:

“From a brazen attempt to enact an even more egregious gerrymander in Texas to a concerted legal effort to undermine fair maps in Alabama and Louisiana, to a Department of Justice that has abandoned its duty to enforce voting protections, our nation is experiencing the greatest attack on the right to vote since Jim Crow. These forces are not disguising their intent; in fact, they are reviving the very same arguments put forward by those who opposed the Civil Rights Movement. And this ongoing assault on the right to vote underscores that, nearly 60 years after its passage, the Voting Rights Act remains absolutely necessary and must be strengthened by enacting the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act.

“We owe it to those who sacrificed their lives and well-being for the right to vote — John Lewis, Fannie Lou Hamer, Medgar Evers, and many others — to continue the good fight. We must honor their legacy and push Congress to pass the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act to protect and strengthen the fundamental right to vote for all Americans.”

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