Congressional Black Caucus Holds Special Order To Decry Supreme Court's Voting Rights Act Decision

Added: 2026-05-14

[00:00:04]Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise on behalf of the Congressional Black Caucus to anchor this special order hour.

[00:00:17]And I ask unanimous consent.

[00:00:22]Sorry.

[00:00:24]ask unanimous consent that all members have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include any extraneous material on the subject of this special order. Without objection, >> Mr. Speaker, I rise on behalf of the Congressional Black Caucus to address another blight on American history.

[00:00:46]250 years ago, Thomas Jefferson wrote in the Declaration of Independence that all men were created equal and endowed by their creator with the inalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

[00:01:01]Yet, Mr. Jefferson did not include the nearly half a million enslaved men, women, and children in the 13 colonies, including at his beloved Montichello.

[00:01:12]11 years later, the Constitution of the United States created a government by, of, and for we the people in order to form a more perfect union.

[00:01:22]Yet, it considered the enslaved people three-fifths of a person for purposes of House of Representative aortionment and taxation and excluded indigenous people altogether. And since 1789, the history of our country has been one of each generation attempting to make true for all Americans the promise of American democracy embedded in our founding documents by expanding suffrage beyond white landowning men.

[00:01:52]It is a story of cyclical trauma. As the Civil War tore this country apart, reconstruction sought to bind its wounds, and a violent backlash of white supremacy erased gains made by formerly enslaved men.

[00:02:09]In the wake of the Civil War, Congress passed the Reconstruction Amendments to end slavery, guarantee equal civil, legal, and voting rights to formerly enslaved Americans. and all three granted Congress the power to enforce their provisions.

[00:02:28]Even with these amendments, southern states resisted, resorting to organizations like the Ku Klutz clan to terrorize black citizens for seeking to vote, run for office, and serve on juries. And Congress passed the enforcement acts to allow the federal government to intervene. And as a result, black men gained political power across the South for the first time.

[00:02:51]In 1870, S Senator Hum Rebels of Mississippi and Representative Joseph Randy of South Carolina became the first black members of Congress. A total of 22 black men served in Congress between 1870 and 1901, including John Mercer Langston, who served in Virginia's fourth congressional district, a seat that I now proudly serve as the first black woman elected from the Commonwealth of Virginia.

[00:03:19]The political, social, and economic power gained by blacks across the South during reconstruction faced a violent backlash as the KKK and other other similar organizations began a reign of terror across the South.

[00:03:35]The compromise of 1870 ended a deadlock in the presidential election of 1876 and brought reconstruction to an end. And as a result, widespread violence, fraud, corruption, gerrymandering, malaportionment, and legislation intended to disenfranchise black voters went unchecked for 50 years.

[00:03:58]And then the Supreme Court issued two decisions gutting the enforcement acts.

[00:04:03]One which arose from the tense aftermath of a Louisiana gubernatorial election and the Kfax massacre, one of the bloodiest racial confrontations of the reconstruction era. States wasted no time adopting measures that technically applied to all voters, but were designed and enforced to disenfranchise black voters.

[00:04:24]Literacy tests like the one my great-grandfather took in 1902 in Alabama to be able to vote.

[00:04:31]pole taxes like the ones my father and my grandfather paid in Tennessee, more restrictive residency requirements.

[00:04:40]And yet we marched on. And in August of 1965, nearly a hundred years after passage of the 15th amendment, Congress passed the most effective piece of legislation to enforce its provisions, the Voting Rights Act. As Justice Kagans wrote in her descent in the Cala decision that put the final death nail in the coffin of the Voting Rights Act by gutting what's left of it. She wrote that the Voting Rights Act was one of the most consequential and amply justified exercises of federal legislative power in our nation's history. Born of the literal blood of Union soldiers and civil rights marchers, it ushered in on all inspiring change, bringing this nation closer to fulfilling its ideals of democracy and racial equality. It has been repeatedly and overwhelmingly reauthorized by the people's representatives in Congress, and only we have the right to say when it is no longer needed. And yet, just as the backlash came in response to reconstruction, beginning with Shelby versus Holder in 2013, the Roberts court has systematically from its ivory tower in Washington gutted the Voting Rights Act. Essentially, the court has said that the medicine for racism in our political system has worked. So, let's end the treatment. But the cancer of racism has not gone away. It's been biting its time in remission, waiting for a chance to spread. And now we seem these same states that raced to pass raceneutral poll taxes, literacy tests, character tests, gerrymandered maps to pack or crack black voters to dilute their power are now moving with all deliberate speed to do the same thing again in Louisiana, Tennessee, Alabama, South Carolina.

[00:06:24]The Congressional Black Caucus will not stand oddly by. As our colleague John Lewis said, "Democracy is not a state.

[00:06:31]is an act that requires each generation to do its part to build the beloved community. Well, our parents, our grandparents, our great-grandparents, some of our members themselves did their part to fight the obstacles put in our way of participation in this government by of and for the people. And we will fight tooth and nail to do the same so that our children and our grandchildren don't have to fight these fights. And I'm now honored to yield to our fearless leader, our chairwoman, Ivet Clark.

[00:07:03]>> Good evening. I'm Representative Ivet D.

[00:07:05]Clark, chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, proudly representing New York's ninth congressional district in central and southwest Brooklyn. I want to thank my colleague, Congress member, Congresswoman Jennifer Mlullen, for anchoring this Congressional Black Caucus special order. It has been 13 days since the Supreme Court gutted the Voting Rights Act of 1965, opening the door to a coordinated attack on black political power and fair representation across the South. Since the Cala decision came down, Republicans across the country have wasted no time in their zealous pursuit of power. They have moved with lightning speed to enact new congressional maps in Florida, Tennessee, and Missouri, and are taking aggressive action in Louisiana, Alabama, and South Carolina.

[00:08:02]Let's be clear, this is an outright power grab, downright theft, snatching fair representation from black voters across the South of the United States.

[00:08:15]It's about silencing silencing black voice voices, dismantling majority black districts, and rigging the map in their favor as elections are already underway.

[00:08:29]For years, we have sounded the alarm as the Voting Rights Act was chipped away piece by piece. Today, the consequences are here, and they are dangerous.

[00:08:42]Not since Jim Crow have we witnessed such a sweeping and deliberate effort to disenfranchise black voters. But we are not powerless and we are not backing down. Every inch of progress in this country has been fought for one through struggle, through resistance, and through the courage of the people this nation tried to leave behind. The Voting Rights Act was not handed over freely.

[00:09:08]It was fought for, organized for, litigated for, and ultimately won through the blood and sacrifices of black Americans and allies who demanded better from their country. As a nation, we are being called to that same courageous fight today. We owe that to the generations who came before us. The freedom fighters who faced dogs, batons, fire hoses, and jail cells so that we could have a voice here in the halls of Congress. And we owe it to the generations coming after us who deserve a country where their vote is protected, their voice is heard, and their future is not predetermined by those who fear their power.

[00:09:58]The fight is not, excuse me, the fight is for nothing short of the future of American democracy itself. And the CBC will meet this challenge head on as we have time again on behalf of the communities we serve.

[00:10:15]So to anyone who thinks we'll be discouraged, to anyone who believes that we will be silenced, to anyone who hopes we'll sit this moment out, you're mistaken. A setback is just an opportunity for a comeback. And we have no intention of allowing Republicans to drag us backward. And when November comes, we'll show up in numbers too big to ignore and too powerful to suppress.

[00:10:42]Because our history has taught us that progress is never given. It is one. won by ordinary people with extraordinary courage and by communities that refuse to be erased. That is the legacy we've inherited and that is the legacy we intend to protect. We're still here. We are still fighting and together we will win. So I thank the gentle lady from Virginia and I yield back.

[00:11:15]>> Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I now yield to Representative Terry Su who picked up the baton from John Lewis.

[00:11:26]I rise tonight with my colleagues of the Congressional Black Caucus to sound the alarm about the crisis unfolding before our eyes. The systemic dismantling of the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

[00:11:40]Let me begin by thanking the gentle lady from Virginia for leading this special order hour and my colleagues in the CBC for their steadfast leadership in this fight. The Congressional Black Caucus has always stood on the front lines in defense of democracy. Tonight's special order hour comes at a time when that leadership is urgently needed. For me, this fight is personal. I grew up in Selma in the shadow of the civil rights movement. I represent the historic cities of Birmingham, Tuscaloosa, Marian, and the black belt. Our communities carry the scars of bloody Sunday. The Birmingham church bombing, fire hose, police dogs, and violent resistance to the simple idea that black Americans deserve the full promise of citizenship.

[00:12:36]People in my district bled for the right to vote. Some died for it. And now, six decades later, extremists are trying to drag this country backwards. They are trying to erase our hard fought progress and silence the voices of the very communities that marched, that sacrificed, that organized to make America, democracy real for everyone.

[00:13:01]The Voting Rights Act was one of the greatest achievements of American history. It transformed this nation. It broke the back of the of Jim Crow voting suppression and it opened the doors of political participation for millions of Americans who had been locked out of democracy because of the color of their skin. But over the last decade, we have watched that landmark law be chipped away piece by piece by piece.

[00:13:29]In 2013, the Supreme Court's disastrous decision in Shelby versus Holder gutted the heart of the Voting Rights Act by striking down the pre-clarance formula that protected communities with a long history of racial discrimination and voting. And what happened next? Exactly what voting rights advocates warned would happen. States across the South rush to impose restrictive voting laws.

[00:13:55]They closed polling stations, purged voter roles, and redrew maps designed to dilute black political power. Now, with the court's recent decision in Calala, we are witnessing yet another dangerous step backwards. Another attack on the principle of fair representation and equal justice under the law. Within hours of that decision, Republican state lawmakers rushed to eliminate majority black districts across the South, including in my hometown of Alabama and my home state, where voters will now be forced to live under a map that was previously struck down for intentional discrimination against black voters. You guessed it, the Supreme Court just ruled that the state of Alabama can go back to a map that intentionally discriminated against black voters. These decisions send a dangerous message that protections won during the civil rights movement are somehow negotiable.

[00:14:58]That the rights secured on the Edund Pettis Bridge can be weakened, narrowed, or ignored. Well, I reject that. The people I represent reject that and history rejects that. We cannot allow a handful of extremists, whether on the bench or in state legislatores, to rewrite history and reverse generations of progress. The right to vote is precious, John Lewis told us, almost sacred. Without the vote, communities lose their voice. Without the vote, power becomes concentrated in the hands of the few. Without the vote, democracy itself is in danger. And that is why we must reform and introduce reintroduce the John Robert Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act to restore, reform, and modernize the Protections of the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

[00:15:50]Our bill would rebuild the pre-clarance system that was destroyed by Shelby. It will once again require jurisdictions with repeated voting rights violations to move those changes to election laws so that they are not discriminatory.

[00:16:05]It will be reformed to do away with partisan germandering that was unleashed in the Cala case. Let us be clear the legis the legislation that bears the name of John Lewis because he understood better than anyone else that democracy is not self-executing.

[00:16:24]It requires courage. Democracy requires vigilance. It requires action.

[00:16:31]Only Congress can rewrite the law so that partisan germandering is no longer the law of the land. Only Congress can act to overturn what the Supreme Court did. And we must act now because if we fail to meet this moment, future generations will ask how we allowed the gains of the civil rights movement to be dismantled on our watch.

[00:16:58]But I still believe after all of this, I still believe in the promise of America. I believe in the legacy of those foot soldiers in Selma.

[00:17:08]I believe in the courage of ordinary people who refuse to be pushed backwards.

[00:17:14]I believe that if we stand together, organize together, fight together, we can protect the sacred right to vote for generations to come. I submit to you this. If your vote didn't matter, they wouldn't be working so hard to take it away. We have to vote like our lives depend upon it because it does. We're not going back.

[00:17:38]Not today, not tomorrow, not ever.

[00:17:42]We don't want just some representation, no representation. WE WANT FAIR representation in the state of Alabama.

[00:17:50]That means where we are 28% of the vote.

[00:17:53]African-Americans are 28% of the vote, seven seats. We deserve two. And we want nothing less.

[00:18:02]We will march. We will fight. We will organize. and we will vote until victory is won. Join me in Montgomery, Alabama for All Roads Lead to the South, National Day of Action this Saturday, May 16th at 100 p.m. in Montgomery, Alabama at the foot of the state capital. We will stand up, stand tall, and we will fight back because guess what? We are not not going back.

[00:18:35]>> Thank you. And I kne now yield to Representative Maxine Waters of California's 43rd district.

[00:18:47]Ladies and gentlemen of America, tonight you see members of the Congressional Black Caucus on the floor of the House of Representatives.

[00:18:58]If you think what you see tonight is a strong voice against an attempt to disrupt, undermine, and destroy the Voting Rights Act, you ain't seen nothing yet. This is just the beginning of what we must do, of what we have to do. Donald Trump's war on democracy did not start with redistricting, and it certainly will not end there. From day one, he's worked to dismantle diversity, equity, and inclusion and programs all across corporate America and throughout the federal government, fueling layoffs, shrinking opportunity, and pushing black and brown Americans further out of the positions of power and economic mobility. Now, after targeting diversity in jobs, opportunities, and voices in the workplace, with the help of Republicans, this administration is now trying to eliminate eliminate representation in Congress itself. Let's call this exactly what it is. a coordinated and deliberate attempt to erase the political power of black, brown, low-income communities and every other underserved and underrepresented group in America throughout racist redistricting schemes backed by Republican legislatures and enabled by Supreme Court who recently voted to gut the Voting Rights Act. They are attempting to eliminate or weaken districts represented by black lawmakers and potentially wipe out nearly a third of the Congressional Black Caucus. They know they cannot defend Donald Trump's failed economic agenda, rising costs or assaults on working families. So instead, they're trying to rig the system and silence the very communities most harmed by their reckless policies.

[00:21:08]This is the same playbook we have seen over and over again from Donald Trump and his destructive administration.

[00:21:16]First, they attack DEI and celebrate the roll back of programs that help open the doors for black and brown Americans in business, banking, and government. Then they turn around and act surprised when unemployment skyrockets, opportunities disappear, and entire communities are pushed further behind. Now they are taking the same dangerous agenda, one step further by trying to erase black representation from the halls of Congress. And let me be very clear, this is bigger than politics. This is about whether America will continue a moving forward as a democracy where every voice matters or whether extremists will drag us backwards into a time when power was reserved for only a select few.

[00:22:10]Generations of Americans marched, bled, and died for the right to vote and the right to fair representation. Donald Trump and his allies are dishonoring that sacrifice with one of the most aggressive attacks on voting rights and black political representation we have seen in decades. Rest assured, I will not be silent. The Black Caucus will not be silent. People of goodwill will not be silent. While extremists attempt to dismantle the hard-fought progress that black Americans built in this country, I will continue fighting to protect our democracy, defend the Voting Rights Act, and ensure black communities and all underserved communities are heard, represented, and respected in the United States Congress. Ladies and gentlemen of America, yes, as I started this presentation this evening, I talk about the fact that the black caucus are on the floor. But let me make sure you understand, it is not only on the floor.

[00:23:15]We will be everywhere. We will be in our churches. We will be in our universities. We will be in the halls of Congress. We will go to the White House.

[00:23:23]We will do everything that we need to do to show not only Trump but America in general that we're not about to be intimidated by someone who disrespects our history and disrespects the sacrifices that have been made by our forefathers and by our fore. We know how to fight and we're going to fight and we're going to fight like you've never seen us fight before. We will be in the hills. We will be on the streets. We will be in the hallways. We will be in the suits everywhere. And so get ready for the struggle. Get ready for the fight. I'm not afraid of the Supreme Court. Not afraid of the opposite side of the aisle. Not intimidated by anything or anybody. Black Americans will fight for what is right. We've made this country stronger. We have fought to make this democracy what it is today, and we're not going back. Get that right.

[00:24:19]>> Thank you, Miss Waters. now yield to Representative Al Green from Texas 9th District.

[00:24:28]>> And still I rise, Mr. Speaker, and I must applaud the gentle lady from California and associate myself with her remarks. And as I do so, I will remind us that yes, the Voting Rights Act was signed by Lynden Johnson, and he did sign it in ink, but the truth be told, it was written in blood. It was written in the blood of those who crossed the Edund Pettis Bridge on Bloody Sunday.

[00:25:00]The blood of Shrunner Goodman and Cheney, signed in ink, but written in blood. But this is bigger than that.

[00:25:09]Yes, this is a paramount importance, but it's also about something else that's taking place at the very same time that we're losing our voting rights and many of our members of Congress. That other thing is seniority.

[00:25:27]Seniority is under assault in the Congress of the United States of America.

[00:25:33]And it was the Congressional Black Caucus that fought to maintain seniority. And if we lose seniority on our watch after the suffering that they went through and all that they did to protect it, what can we say about ourselves?

[00:25:48]Seniority, the means by which many of the people who hold committee chairmanships right now who are members of the Congressional Black Caucus, they have those chairpersonship because of seniority.

[00:26:00]Seniority has made a difference because seniority has the power. And this is a power grab in the sense that is a power grab to take seats away, but is also a power grab to take seniority away. And when seniority is no longer the means by which we have upward mobility, some things bear repeating. When seniority is no longer the means by which we will have upward mobility, money will rule and we will lose.

[00:26:31]we will lose.

[00:26:35]Maxine Waters became chair, only woman ever of any hu to chair financial services because of seniority.

[00:26:44]Benny Thompson chair homeland security because of seniority and the list goes on and on. My closing words of these. I want my record to show that when seniority was at risk, I did everything that I could to protect it.

[00:27:05]And I'm going to fight to protect the seniority system because that's the system that allows us to deliver to deliver more goods and services to our communities. Yes, there are exceptions, Barbara Jordan being one. But exceptions don't make the rule, they prove the rule. Seniority must stand and I stand with seniority. I thank you, Madam Chair, and I yield back.

[00:27:30]>> Thank you. I now yield to Rep. Gwen Moore from Wisconsin's fourth district.

[00:27:38]>> Thank you so much, uh, gentle lady from Virginia for yielding. I do have to note that you do come from the heart of the Confederacy originally and I was really proud when Virginia voters voted to redistrict to align their votes with the current detriment of votes that the Republican party seeks.

[00:28:06]Miss McClone, I was just recently reading the book by Jim Klyber, our colleague.

[00:28:14]And so what that book tells us is this is just not new.

[00:28:19]You know, people have talked about it's been 13 days since the Supreme Court acted in the Cala decision. But it's a long history since the 19th century of trying to disenfranchise formerly enslaved people. This is just another day. This is part of American history to try to deny African-Americans not only the vote but their humanity.

[00:28:50]Now, Miss Mlen, you're from the heart of the Confederacy, but I want you to know that this is just not a southern thing.

[00:29:02]That is why I am from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. And Milwaukee, Wisconsin was called the Selma of the North because of the discriminatory practices that our voters face. As a matter of fact, when I was in the state legislature, I fought our governor then over seemingly innocent requirements for voter ID because I knew that that was a Campbell's nose under the tent to disenfranchise people. And in fact, when that law went into place in 2016, that is when Donald Trump won the presidency.

[00:29:44]uh in Wisconsin.

[00:29:47]You've heard from many speakers today, and I won't consume all the time by uh talking going on and on. I'm just going to say this. I'm encouraged.

[00:29:57]And while I'm heartbroken by what the Supreme Court did 13 days ago, this ain't new. We've been here before and we have the script of how to fix it because we've went through this and when we saw the rise of the Ku Klux Clan, we saw Supreme Court decisions. We saw presidencies and guess what?

[00:30:27]Black people and Americans have always risen to the occasion. We stand on the shoulders of giants like Ezekiel Gillespie from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, who sued the state of Wisconsin in 1865 for the right to vote. We stand on the shoulders of giants like John Lewis, John Robert Lewis, and we know, Mr. speaker that that a new day will surface again and this will not be the end. Why? Because we are undeterred.

[00:31:07]>> I yield back to you, gentle lady.

[00:31:09]>> Thank you, Representative Moore. I now yield to Representative Hank Johnson from Georgia's fourth district.

[00:31:21]I thank the gentle lady from Virginia for yielding and I thank her for anchoring this CBC special order hour.

[00:31:30]And I also uh want to shout out the leadership of CBC Chair Iet Clark uh for the work that she's doing.

[00:31:39]Mr. Speaker, I can't breathe.

[00:31:43]And I'm not saying those words to to uh talk about what George Floyd said about six years ago before he was choked to death.

[00:31:56]Those are not from him. Those are the words that democracy is uttering is crying.

[00:32:06]I can't breathe. I can't breathe because MAGA controls the presidency.

[00:32:13]MAGA controls the House, the Senate, and MAGA controls the United States Supreme Court. MAGA has a trifecta.

[00:32:26]I can't breathe. Democracy can't breathe.

[00:32:31]For years, there's been a steady effort by the United States Supreme Court to overrule, get rid of the Voting Rights Act.

[00:32:47]They started with Shelby County where they paralyzed the pre-clarance requirement of the Voting Rights Act. Then they went to Bronovich several years later, made it more difficult to sue for relief under the Voting Rights Act. And then April 29th, I think it was of this year, they nailed the final nail in the coffin of the Voting Rights Act by gutting section two.

[00:33:21]And they did it.

[00:33:23]They said that it was a denial of equal protection to white folks for racist legislators and legislatures to have to draw districts that offered or enabled black people, communities of interest to have an opportunity to elect the representative of their choice.

[00:33:50]They said that that was a denial of equal protection to white folks. So in other words, political germandering trumps the ability of black people to be able to elect the representative of their choice.

[00:34:09]Uh, and they did that premised on the conclusion, the false conclusion that we're now living in a post-racial society. So, there's no longer a need for the Voting Rights Act. So, it was a fit of judicial activism, a predictable fit of judicial activism. We got to do something about this United States Supreme Court. We got to do something about this MAGA legislature and we got to do something about the head MAGA at the White House. We do that through exercising our right to vote. We shall do so in November and we shall do so in 2026 and we'll be prepared for 2030 redistricting. We we'll be prepared for what happens.

[00:35:05]we're going to take your foot off of the neck of democracy and it's not going to be just us. It's going to be rightinking people around this country who are going to join us. And so that's why I appreciate us leading the way. And uh and I look forward to better days ahead.

[00:35:22]We shall not stop. We won't be we won't slow down.

[00:35:28]You're not going to drive us off. You're not going to kick us out. We're going to be here. This is our country and we're going to live in it together, like it or not. And with that, I'll yield back. Thank you. I now yield to Representative Robin Kelly of Illinois second district.

[00:35:54]>> Thank you, Congresswoman Mlullen, for running this special order hour. Mr. Speaker, I rise because the Supreme Court gutted the Voting Rights Act, dealing a devastating blow to our democracy. Their decision will allow states, particularly in the South, to dilute and try to silence black voters.

[00:36:14]For decades, black Americans and activists fought and bled for our right to vote. Once again, we have to organize, mobilize, and fight for our right to vote. When I say we, I mean a collective we. Dems won't win if all Dems don't participate to revert this very, very racist action. We need everybody involved. It doesn't matter what state you come from, what the color of your skin is, or what your religion is. Now is the time to fight back. Make no mistake, Republicans are trying to steal this election because they know they cannot win it fair and square.

[00:36:54]They've gutted our health care, raised prices for everyday necessities, turned their backs on hardworking people, and now they want to stay in power.

[00:37:04]Democrats, now is not the time to grow weary, to shutter the windows, to close the door. Now is the time to show up, to stand up, and to speak up for democracy.

[00:37:17]I yel back.

[00:37:19]>> Thank you. Do I now yield to Representative Lucy McBath of Georgia's seventh district?

[00:37:28]Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak to the Supreme Court's decision in Louisiana versus Klay and what this moment means for the future of our democracy. For generations, Americans have fought to make this nation live up to its promise. Our democracy did not become more inclusive by accident. It became stronger because people of color organized, marched, sacrificed, and demanded equal access to the ballot box.

[00:38:00]The Voting Rights Act of 1965 was one of the greatest achievements of that struggle, opening doors that had been locked to so many people of color for far too long.

[00:38:14]This decision weakens protections that helped ensure black voters and communities of color could fully participate in our democracy and have fair representation in Congress. Let me be clear. This decision does not end our fight and it does not weaken our determination. The Congressional Black Caucus has always understood that progress in this country is never permanent unless we continue to defend it. We have prepared for moments like this by rallying and building coalitions all across this nation. And we will continue doing exactly that because even in difficult moments, I still believe in the power of the people, in the power of my people. I still believe in the strength of our communities and I still believe that when Americans come together to protect our democracy, we will prevail.

[00:39:16]That is why we will keep pushing forward. We will continue expanding access to the ballot box, protecting fair representation, and ensuring that every single voice in this country is heard.

[00:39:32]And when we reclaim the majority, and yes, that's coming too, we will work to pass the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act and continue the work of building a democracy that truly reflects all of America. This is not the moment to retreat. It is a moment to organize, to vote, and to remind the American people that democracy is strongest when everyone has a seat at the table. The fight for voting rights did not begin with this court. And it will not end with this decision. We have overcome far too much, sacrificed far too much, and achieved far too much progress to turn back. Now, I look forward to working alongside my CBC colleagues as we move forward together. We will move forward together, united and committed to building a democracy that is more just and representative for all of our future generations. And I yield.

[00:40:40]I >> now yield to the gentleoman from Ohio's 11th district, Representative Shantel Brown.

[00:40:46]>> Thank you, Representative Mlen, for leading tonight's special order hour. I am honored to stand with my CBC colleagues in this fight as we stand up for the people we represent. Mr. Speaker, for decades, the far right has sold this country a lie. A lie that racism ended in 1965.

[00:41:07]a lie that discrimination is ancient history. For years, that rhetoric lived in chat rooms in the ugliest corners of American life. Well, today it lives in highest courts in the land, cloaked in robes. This conservative Supreme Court has taken a wreck ball to the Voting Rights Act, one of the greatest achievements of the Civil Rights Movement. And now after Louisiana versus Cala ruling, there's barely any of the law left. Before this ruling, black voters in the South had at least some defense against intentional political extinction. But now that's gone. And Mr. Speaker, what happens next tells you everything you need to know. The ink was barely dry before Republican states rushed to redraw maps and move election dates. Mississippi, Tennessee, Alabama, Louisiana, South Carolina, state after state after state. And let's be honest about what this is. This is a coordinated effort to engineer electorates so that Trump has all the white majority districts he needs. And the tragedy, the disgrace is that this rush to redraw proves exactly why the Voting Rights Act was needed in the first place. If they are successful, some of the states with the largest black populations in the country will be represented by all white delegations in majority white districts. We cannot and we will not take this sitting down. We will organize and mobilize and use our voice. We will fight this in Congress.

[00:42:55]We don't have a voting rights majority in this body right now, but soon we will. And we will restore the Voting Rights Act. And finally, Mr. Speaker, we must confront the center of this crisis, an unacceptable Supreme Court. The Voting Rights Act was not some historical footnote. It was the law of the land for decades. It was one of the crowning achievements of American democracy and this court has systematically hollowed it out. No institution in this country is above scrutiny. And no court should have the power to erase protections won through blood, sacrifice, and struggle without the American people demanding reform.

[00:43:46]Our constitutional system was never designed to crown nine people as permanent and untouchable rulers of our democracy. Mr. Speaker, our brothers and sisters are being silenced across the South, but this Congress will make sure those voices are heard loudly, clearly, and unapologetically.

[00:44:11]And with that, I yield back.

[00:44:14]I yield to Representative Valerie Fushi of North Carolina's fourth district.

[00:44:27]I thank the gentle lady for yielding and for anchoring this special order hour.

[00:44:35]Mr. Speaker, I rise today alongside my colleagues in opposition to the allout assault on black Americans right to vote in the wake of Trump's Supreme Court choice to gut the Voting Rights Act. The Voting Rights Act was a piece of legislation that was one in blood. And though we can see the racism and hatred still present in our nation, the passage of the Voting Rights Act was a line in the sand that we would protect and include black voices in our democracy.

[00:45:12]In the near 200 years between the establishment of this country and the passage of the Voting Rights Act, millions of black Americans died fighting for this right. It wasn't a right that we just achieved through a protest in Selma where they attacked hundreds of our brothers and sisters. It wasn't a right that we just achieved through a march to the capital alongside hundreds of thousands of people across our communities. It was a right that we also achieved through the struggle of the millions of black Americans whose stories were never told and whose voices were never heard by our government. the millions of black Americans throughout our history who organized and fought without the recognition they deserved to lay the groundwork for people like me to have the opportunity to represent the very congressional districts where we once attended segregated ed elementary schools. The passage of the Voting Rights Act was that hope that finally we would no longer go without our voices being heard and that none of us would have to die for that right ever again.

[00:46:31]Now, as if we needed any confirmation of the rationale behind this senseless Supreme Court ruling, Republican state houses nationwide are now mobilizing in an effort to target black members of Congress and black majority districts.

[00:46:49]In Tennessee, they ignored black representatives locked in arms on the floor of the state legislature as they dismantled the only black majority district in a state where the Clinton 12 once marched for their right to attend integrated schools. in Alabama. They stared on as my colleague, Congressman Figures, pleaded with them to stop redrawing the courtmandated congressional map that gave Alabama, the state at the epicenter of the Martin civil rights movement to black members of Congress for the first time in its history. In Virginia, they overthrew a referendum which would help balance the B power in Congress. the same state which once approved a referendum by white supremacists to rewrite the state constitution in order to disenfranchise black voters. In my state, North Carolina, we've seen this playbook carried out with the redrawing of congressional maps to eliminate the three seats for Democrats and the redrawing of that congressional map just a few years later in a concerted effort to attack black lawmakers.

[00:48:06]I consider myself incredibly lucky to still be here in the halls of Congress.

[00:48:11]While many of our fellow black lawmakers have not been as fortunate, and as one of the few members of Congress who left who experienced the systemic segregation put in place across the South firsthand as a young girl in an all black elementary school, I stand here with this message. We will not go back. We deserve more than to have our government stomp on our voices, our representation, and our votes. Just as I deserved access to the same elementary school as the white boys and girls, our ancestors fought, bled, and died for the right to vote and the right to have our voices heard by Congress. And as we feel their pain with every step back that this government forces upon us, rest assured that we will always come back stronger.

[00:49:07]Your cheating of our electoral systems through gerrymandering and voter disenfranchisement is an admission that your leadership has failed the American people. We see through you. We will not rest and we will continue to honor the work of our ancestors with action. Thank you and I yield back >> to Representative Glenn Ivy of Maryland's fourth district.

[00:49:34]>> May I inquire how much time is left?

[00:49:37]>> 10 minutes.

[00:49:38]>> Thank you.

[00:49:40]Wow.

[00:49:42]I thank my colleague from Virginia for leading this special order tonight and my colleagues who've uh spoken on the floor um in shock and dismay with respect to what the Supreme Court did in the Voting Rights Act ruling just a few days ago. Uh and also in the Virginia Supreme Court in the ruling that it passed down. I I'll say this. Um many of my neighbors, friends, and the students I've had a chance to speak to recently were also surprised and shocked and disappointed and dismayed by what happened then.

[00:50:21]They've also been surprised by President Trump sending the FBI in to seize ballots in Atlanta to try and prove that he won an election four years ago that he obviously lost.

[00:50:36]They've been surprised, dismayed, and disheartened by what they saw with respect to ICE in Minneapolis and the recognition that there's a strong possibility that ICE in the National Guard may be showing up in polling places in November.

[00:50:52]And they've also been shocked and surprised that icons like Jim Klyurn and Emanuel Clever who served this who've served this body and this nation honorably for decades are at the risk of being forced out of office u based on these unfair rulings. I'll say this, I've been really heartened by what I saw from those young people when I was speaking to them over the past two weeks. They were concerned that they couldn't live up to the moment, that they there was nothing that they could do, that they were too young to have an impact. But I reminded them of people like John Lewis, who was 18 or 19 when he began his work in the Civil Rights Movement that culminated in the Voting Rights Act that was just gutted a few weeks ago. I reminded them that Dr. Martin Luther King was only 25 when he led the Montgomery bus boycott and was still working on his dissertation and raising a family. All at the same time, I reminded them that there were many leaders who came before us, young people, men and women who saw a need for service and a a call to have an impact and they stepped into that void. I reminded them that the Freedom Writers had people on it 18, 19, 20 years old, who they forced to sign and write wills before they got on those buses because they knew that they would be violently attacked. And they were.

[00:52:17]We can meet this moment just as those ancestors met those moments, just as our predecessors met met those moments. And all we need to do is go to the voting booth. We have to make sure we get out there and do that work. push in the streets, campaign, stand up, make sure we fight, speak, have our voices heard, and bring everybody out that we can because it's critical for us to win in November in order to turn this around and show them that despite all of the efforts that they've made, the Trump Supreme Court, the seizure of the ballots, all the things that they've been doing with the executive orders and the like. We can defeat all of those in November, but we have to show up and we will. And with that, I yield back.

[00:53:04]>> I yield to Representative Sydney Commod of California's 37th district.

[00:53:10]I want to thank the gentleoman from Virginia for hosting this special order.

[00:53:15]The House is on fire and our democracy is under attack. And this time, instead of storming the capital, they are changing the maps to silence voices of millions of Americans. The Supreme Court's decision in Louisiana versus Cala has given states a green light to weaken black political power under the false cover of race neutrality. In Memphis, Tennessee, a historic organic majority black district has been carved up to dilute its voice. In Louisiana, Alabama, South Carolina, and Mississippi, similar efforts are underway. It is ironic that the states where the power stealing is happening right now are Confederate states where the tension of race remains unresolved.

[00:54:01]But let's be clear, this virus is contagious. Wake up people. This is not coincidence. This is coordination. The attacks are dangerous, but so is the silence. And silence in this moment is complicity. And history will document who spoke up and who stayed quiet. Let's not forget the black vote has never just elected black leaders. It has been the backbone of coalitions that lifted others into power. In 2020, black voters in Georgia not only elected Reverend Waro to the Senate, they also elected John Oaf, flipping two red seats blue and giving Democrats the tiebreaking vote in the Senate. They have consistently shown up for and elected presidents like Joe Biden, proving once again that not only black leaders benefit from black political engagement and trust. And let me be clear about something else. Black members of Congress do not only represent black communities. We represent everyone. Many of us serve diverse, even majority white districts, delivering results for all of our constituents. So when these maps are redrawn to eliminate black representation, it's not about fairness.

[00:55:16]It's about fear and real talk. If race is truly not a factor, then why are black districts always the ones being dismantled? So let's play it say it plainly. If some of our colleagues were not afraid of black voters, then they would not be working so hard to silence us. So, we have to meet this moment with urgency, pass the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, organize, mobilize, turn out, and hold receipts because this is bigger than any one district. It is about whether democracy works for all of us. And with that, I yield back.

[00:55:51]>> I yield to Representative Meny from Texas.

[00:55:55]>> Thank you. I rise today because the right to vote is under grave attack. The Supreme Court opened the door and Republican officials throughout the South are running straight through it.

[00:56:05]Republican state legislators are racing to redraw congressional maps across the South. And they have one clear goal, to make sure that black communities cannot elect a candidate of their choice. Look at Tennessee. Memphis is a majority black city. And instead of keeping it whole in one district, Republicans sliced it into three separate districts.

[00:56:25]and imported white voters from hundreds of miles away. That is not an accident.

[00:56:31]That is a blueprint. Or in Texas, where a Trumpappointed federal judge found that Republicans use race to dismantle minority districts like in my hometown of Houston. And I've seen so many Republican officials argue that this is not about race. But look at North Carolina where Republican legislators requested data on voting patterns broken down by race. They then changed the voting rules based on that data and a federal court said that they targeted African-Americans with quote almost surgical precision. This is about race.

[00:57:04]These maps are a pattern and after Clay it is spreading like a wildfire.

[00:57:10]Cracking black communities apart district by district is not politics.

[00:57:14]It's a declaration that black voices do not belong in this democracy. Our nation is better than this. Racist cheating has no place in the greatest democracy on earth. This Congress must fight back.

[00:57:26]The right to choose our own representatives is sacred and something our ancestors have fought and bled for.

[00:57:30]And we will not let it be stripped from us community by community, nor zip code by zip code. I yield back.

[00:57:36]>> Mr. Speaker, I took my oath of office three years ago on the Bible that my father kept his pole tax receipt in that he paid when he turned old enough to vote in Tennessee.

[00:57:49]In my office is a book written by my great-grandfather.

[00:57:53]And he tells the story, my great-grandfather, born on the plantation where his parents were enslaved, went to register to vote in 1902 in Alabama. He was given a literacy test.

[00:58:05]He got all the questions right. The registar turned to his assistant and said, and I quote, "I need more questions because this got them all right." He was on a list of people not to register to vote because he organized blacks in the community.

[00:58:19]Then he was told, "You got to find three white men to vouch for your character."

[00:58:23]And he did it. Today, just like my great-grandfather, just like my father, I and the Congressional Black Caucus will fight any obstacle put in our way to ensure that we participate in this government by of and for the people. We won't take this sitting down. The Supreme Court may have dealt us a devastating blow, but we're going to get up just like John Lewis got up after he was beaten in the head from marching across the Selma the bridge in Selma for the right to vote. This is not the end of the war. This is only the beginning where we will ensure that liberty and justice for all means all. That a government by of and for the people includes all the people. We will not be silenced. And with that, I yield back.