Transcripts For CSPAN3 Hearing On Voting Rights In Minority Communities 20240713

Without objection the chairs authorized to declare recess of his committee at any time. I now recognize myself for an opening statement. Good morning, i thank all of you for being here today. Good morning, today we are examining our nations history of Voter Suppression as well as the obstacles that many minority communities continue to face to this day. In exercising their fundamental right to vote. Tomorrow we will be holding a ceremony to honor our dear friend and colleague and a former chairman Elijah Cummings. We will be renaming this hearing room after him and commending everything he stood for. Todays hearing is part of our efforts to honor his legacy. Protecting the right to vote was one of the most important issues if not the most important issue he fought for during his decades of service. We are holding this hearing in a gory during black History Month with black americans whose voices were stifled, blocks and silenced for centuries. It is black americans who are still being disproportionately targeted even now with shameful efforts to prevent them from registering to vote, purging their names from the voter files and making it harder for them to exercise their right under the constitution. Last february chairman cummings held a similar hearing one of the very first he called after becoming chairman of this committee. He explained his vision for our work. I would like to play a clip from that hearing. I believe that we should be doing everything in our power to make it easier for eligible american citizens to exercise their constitutional right to vote, not making it harder. We should be making it more convenient, not less. We should be encouraging more people to cast their votes not fewer. We should be promoting early voting, absentee voting, voting by mail and other ways to help citizens cast their ballots, not rolling back the very important programs. That is a northstar that everyone in this nation should rewith. On this day, 151 years ago Congress Passed the 15th amendments declaring the right of citizens to vote, shall not be denied on account of race. That was the beginning of a long and deadly struggle to ensure all american citizens can cast their votes. This year is also the 55thanniversary of the Voting Rights act of 1965 and the 55thanniversary of bloody sunday when hundreds of peaceful civil rights marchers were beaten on the Edmund Pettus bridge in selma alabama. The efforts of civil rights pioneers some of whom are here with us here today help millions of americans exercise their right to vote. Unfortunately today states are attacking the right to vote using tactics similar to those that civil rights pioneers battled for decades. Last year and under chairman cummings leadership and also that of congressman raskin the committee will launch an investigation of allegations in three key states, georgia, texas and kansas. Today we are releasing some of the documents and information we obtained as part of that investigation. For example in georgia secretary of state brian kemp purged more than half a million votes of the roles of plot the registrations of thousands more all while running for governor. Emails obtained by the committee showed mr. Camp at the top Campaign Aide congratulated each other for confusing the public about their illegal voter roll purges and they also lethally celebrated as they made it harder for hundreds of thousands of americans to vote. They have been used laughing and smiling emojis and a sickening display of division. We also examine texas which threaten thousands of innocent americans with criminal prosecution for voting illegally only to be forced to reverse course when it was revealed that many if not all were u. S. Citizens with every right to cast their ballot. Finally we examined kansas which moved the one and only polling site in the entire city of dodge city kansas outside the city limits without authoring to consult with the local voters. Dodge dodge city has a population of more than 25,000 and they consist predominantly of minorities. Unfortunately these are not the only instances of discrimination and Voter Suppression. For example North Carolina passed an extremely restrictive for i. D. Law that the Fourth Circuit struck it down a ruling that would target africanamericans with almost surgical precision. These abusive these abuses must end in the house of representatives have taken action to stop them. Last year the house passed a landmark bill to protect Voting Rights, h. R. 1 before the people act would reduce barriers to voting through automatic registration, sameday voting and registration and expanded early voting. H. R. 4 would restore and modernized the Voting Rights act to protect against discriminatory voting practices. Unfortunately senator Mitch Mcconnell has refused for months to allow the senate to vote on these bills. Communities across america need to localize to protect the right to vote in the upcoming elections. Every american can take action today to make sure their Voter Registration is at a to learn about their options for early or absentee voting and to find their polling sites. I would like to close where it began at our hearing a year ago last february. During that hearing chairman cummings told the story about how he sat with his mother on her deathbed and this is what she said to him and i would like to show this movie clip now. On my mothers dying dead at 92yearold a former sharecropper her last words were due not let them take our vote away from us. She had fought and seen people armed, beaten trying to vote. Talk about inalienable rights. Voting is crucial and i dont give a dam how you look at it. There are efforts to stop people from voting. Thats not right. This is not russia. This is the United States of america. Like his mother chairman cummings has now passed on but his spirit is still here with us in this very hearing as he urges us with moral clarity to protect and defend the core of our democracy. I want to thank all of you for coming today. I want to thank all of our witnesses for being here. I look forward to your historic testimony and i now recognize the distinguished Ranking Member mr. Jordan for his opening statement. Thank you madam chair and i want to thank you for your kind words about our former chairman and i would echo those sentiments. We all appreciate the work of chairman cummings over the years and the great things he was involved in and the causes he was involved in fighting for. And tomorrow afternoon this room will be dedicated to the late chairman. I want to also thank you chairman for calling this hearing and thank you for all of the witnesses that are here today for the right to vote in an election is the bedrock principle of american democracy. The right to vote has been expanded to all citizens regardless of race color gender and age requirement and has been lowered actually to 18 years old. The most recent expansion to place a 1986 when Congress Passed a law boeing servicemembers to vote while stationed overseas. These will remember that voting is traditionally a state and local responsibility. Some say voting is too hard and complications drive voters away up however a recent study contradicts these claims were according to the study conducted by the Knight Foundation 8 of voters said they did not have time to make it to the polls and 5 said they did not vote because they were not registered traditionally only 8 said they did not vote because it was too complicated and only 3 said changing the registration process would motivate them to vote. In fact almost 90 of voters surveyed by the foundation said that voting was the states were to ensure that access to voting is fair and we should not forget voting integrity must ensure that every eligible citizens vote is counted the votes are not stolen or diluted through voter fraud. The democrats are going to try mass voter by releasing 13 cherrypicked documents from over 1. 2 million of pages in their monthlong investigation in the 2018 midterm elections. These documents show coordinator attempt to suppress minority voters but in fact they do not produce documents show with little more than Election Officials to ensure honest and secure elections but thats the responsibility. They show these individuals doing their job by ensuring only eligible voters on the voter rolls and by taking any allegations of cyber crime seriously one of the most backward allegations the democrats argued the state of georgia should not have contacted authorities regarding potential cyber attacks. Georgia does not produce proof that the attacks of the committee the attack did not occur. That claim is ridiculous. The real investigations is looking into the matter and cybersecurity experts unanimously found there was an attempt to breach of the voter rolls for the release of these documents is to distract from serious issues in our election like voter fraud. In 2018 california falsely registered 23,000 voters including almost 2000 citizens. 23,000 votes could have changed the outcome of the 2016 president ial election in michigan New Hampshire wisconsin or nevada for new york thereve been 25 convictions of voter fraud related to false registration and duplicate voting. In maryland there have been a convictions and i could go on and on. Voter fraud is a religion of the visa be addressed in discussion about collecting voter requirement should include how states are going to defend against voter fraud. I hope we can discuss this important aspect here today as well. Again i would like to thank all of our witnesses for being here today and we look forward to hearing what you have to say. Thank you madam chair and i yield back. I will now recognize mr. To talk about her dear friend representative cummings. I want to thank all the witnesses for being here and for your testimony that you are about to give but i wanted to take just a couple of minutes to talk about my good friend chairman cummings. When you get to see the video of his passion and his willingness to engage the come to my mind the most about my good friend Elijah Cummings was two words. Fairness and passion. Those two words not only were emblematic of a friendship that the two of us had but they were also characteristic of the way he conducted himself as chairman and his Ranking Member. Had the privilege to serve with him in both of those capacities. Hes one of ours wanted to make sure that persons who didnt have a voice had the voice here in washington d. C. You being here today certainly highlights that. What i want to make sure we do which is the other thing he was always willing to do is to cut to the chase. Our private offices were diagonal from one another just down the hallway and i would go in and being the member with lessin yorty i would always go to the member with more secure seniority in we would sit down and have very frank conversations on what legislation could d and what it did mean in the political ramifications. Here is i would ask. In the spirit of the two words for my good friend effective and efficient. What i would love to hear from all the Witnesses Today are the ways that they can be most effective and efficient with legislation to make sure that every vote is counted most effective and efficient opportunity to vote. So many times what we do is we try to put a big narrative based on real problems but based on problems that may be isolated. We try to put a big narrative on it and thought i would ask all of you is in honoring my good friend Elijah Cummings gives specific examples on what you think that we can do from a disenfranchises any people or discriminatory or disenfranchises any people or group. I thank you madam chair for your leadership. I look forward to hearing from our witnesses. I yield back. Thank you bridget m. Honored to turn to our distinguished colleague from the District Of Columbia congresswoman Eleanor Holmes norton to introduce her witnesses. Congresswoman norton is a civil rights legend in her own right. As a young woman she was a member of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee or sncc a Civil Rights Organization founded by young student activists including two of our distinguished witnesses diane nash and congressman norton organized civil rights and human rights as a student and as head of the new York City Human Rights Commission and is the first woman to chair the u. S. Equal Employment Opportunity commission. She has continued to champion these charges, these causes here in the United States and throughout the world as a warrior lawyer and scholar in as her colleague in the house of representatives for they recognize the distinguished representative of the district. I think my good friend chairwoman maloney for her generous words. I think her most of all for giving me an opportunity to introduce the Witnesses Today. This is normally the work of the chair of the committee. Two of these witnesses were directly engaged in work to assure that there would be no state obstacle to the right to vote and they must be very proud of how that work has in fact benefited millions of americans. They were in the thick of the Civil Rights Movement. My only regret is our colleague john lewis who though not a member of the committee would certainly be here today if he could. He of course was chair of the student on Violent Coordinating Committee and i just want to note another of our colleagues is in the audience also and of lum the alumni of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee who i met in the pacific. These witnesses will have only five minutes to appoint the rules of the committee so i hope particularly the witnesses who can give us give on what we have got to do now in renewing the Voting Rights act cant talk about their own role so that we can have something to compare what we are going through today in Voter Suppression with what they experience as student activists and their perspective from that period can best inform our work in combating the obstacles we face now in the house in renewing the Voting Rights act. Im pleased to introduce our witnesses. Reference dr. William barber president of repairs of the bridge and cochair of the Poor Peoples Campaign. Diane nash civil rights leader and one of the Founding Members of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee. Tim jenkins also my law School Classmate and a Founding Member of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee. He is an attorney and activist and served on the boards of teaching for change in the Civil Rights Movement archives. Finally marcia johnsonblanco is the codirector of the Voting Rights project for the Lawyers Committee for civil rights. Thank you very much madam chair. Thank you very much. We at hope that john lewis would be here to bear witness but i ask unanimous consent to place in the record his statement. He is certainly here in leadership bends. Great thank you and i will begin now by swearing in the witnesses if youll all please rise and raise your right hand. Do you swear to affirm that the testimony youre about to give his the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth so help you god . That the records show the witnesses answered in the affirmative. Thank you and please be seated. The microphones are sensitive so please pull them to you and speak directly into it and without objection your statement will be made part of the record and with that mr. Jenkins you are now recognized to provide your testimony. Pass following my name is Timothy Jenkins in a 1960s i would like to mention one of the Founding Members of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee committee referred to its initial snake. I served for the United States congress during the tumultuous events surrounding the drafting of the ultimate passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1965 i am here today to advocate needed additional remedies in the face of renewed connivance is to undercut the Historic Success of that earlier legislation and not to mention a legitimate interpretation of the constitution while i am here as a snake survivor i did not want america to forget the moral debt that the interracial into faith trio of james cheney Andrew Goodman and michael stronger who were of those the members who were murdered in 1964 in philadelphia mississippi while working is unpaid volunteers seeking to enable black citizens a right to vote we the surviving members of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee find that it is still our vital duty now just does, it was when we were formed in 1960, to never allow america to falter in her commitment for the equal protection of all citizens. We have staked our lives based on our fate, that this country multiple detentions to continuously strive to form a more perfect union. And established justice the loss of cheney, goodman, and sean, or is a grave reminder of the atrocities that we suffered when we the people who was allowed to refer to some, rather than all. In the south, our tactics for expanding Voter Registration among minorities, and challenging historic acts of Voter Suppression, prove to be especially fruitful. What have proposed provision offered in our 1963 legislative testimony was an acted in section five of the Voting Rights act of 1965. I would think it useful for members of the committee to look at the that we submitted a 1964 that gives 100 pages more than i can give in the five minutes that i have today because in that testimony it enumerates graphically all of the kinds of abuses that we went through to try and get people registered to vote which are now not part of our current dialog. I urge those of you who have the energy, to look at the legislative history and the congressional record of that testimony, and the testimony we are given by emmanuel who is chairman of the judiciary committee. Our testimony was submitted before the judiciary committee. This provision has since in our testimony, in the Voting Rights act of 1960, five been gutted by the Supreme Courts decision in shelby versus holder in the year 2013. A ruling based on the false contention that the prevalence of discrimination in this country is outdated. In 1963, when robert moses joined with me and charles to describe in our testimony and intends officer calls to African Americans and how we had to mobilize the community to encounter and counteract those abuses. More recently in both georgia and mississippi through private and public measures of intimidation, African Americans were purged from voting. There is proof that such discrimination and discriminatory procedures are still at large today as evident in georgias recent removal of 100,000 names from the roles and rapid closure of polling locations in mississippi. Although the forms have shifted. Echoes of the past exclusion, still haunt the president. These will persist and plaguing the future if we do not mend the legislative cracks in the system that divide us. If congress believes that voting is a fundamental right of every u. S. Citizen it is now the responsibility of congress to enact a franchise for all people. This is not a question of the ability of congress, but the willingness to adopt and enforce laws that will safeguard by dorian b a gift to return to remain at the local level. In 1980 7 am and confronted about whether we were going to have a monarchy or a democracy, Benjamin Franklin responded, it will be a republic, if you can keep it. Unfortunately, centuries later, and our year, 2020, we have yet to demonstrate a republic that is genuinely representative by its unequivocal protection of Voting Rights. A prime example is the fact that the crusade against voter fraud is more propagating our legislative initiatives then the facts. The phenomenon that is providing etiquette proof of the existence, still does not exist. According to election experts and members of congress themselves, individuals are more likely to be struck by lightning then to commit in person voter fraud. But in person voter fraud seems to be the only focus of todays actions that i am being mast as voter protection. Deuce to statistical evidence about states enforcing strict signature and photo id requirements, the american id must question the purpose and the implications of these laws. Through the authority allowed by Shelby County versus holder, the other approaches in Voter Suppression, racial minority group, disabled groups, elderly, and low income groups are being eliminated from our political system at an alarming rate. The frequency of these different actions is something that requires major initiatives. When the constitution was originally adopted the use of the word we the people was done but it did not include blacks, women, indigenous people, or those without property, as an equally. Among can you summarize . Time and close . We have to keep her to our schedule. C ive submitted to the record my written testimony and one of the things that i would like to have in this dialogue that we pursue is an opportunity to enlarge upon the beginning of what we were saying because theres an african expression that a river that is a gifted source dries up. We the people of the day want to talk to the people who are the people of tomorrow. Thank you. Ms. Johnsonblanco you are now recognized for your testimony. Chairman maloney ranked member jordan and members of the committee thank you for the opportunity to provide testimony regarding Voter Suppression in minority communities a pier my name is marcia johnsonblanco i codirect the Voting Rights project where i oversee the project and efficacy portfolio. Thomas seven years after the Shelby County versus the decision was noah fight a major section 5 of the voting were attacked we are in danger of fun dividing the progress made by that act. The national Civil Rights Organization created at the request of president john f. Kennedy in 1963 immobilized the private bar to address issues of discrimination. From the beginning a major part of our work has been combating voter discrimination. In striking down the formula that determines which jurisdictions the nation had to submit voting changes the Supreme Court conceded that voting discrimination still exists, no one doubts that even admonishing to this body the formula should be based on Current Conditions. While current condition showing voting discrimination existed at the time of the shelby decision and continue to today examples of discrimination which is disproportionately impact the ability of minority voters to vote are using procedures like exact match not to process Voter Registration applications. Removing voters from the rolls, cuts to early voting, restricted voter i. D. Requirements, closure and consolidation of polling places, excessive voter purges, aggressive rejection of absentee ballots, violations of laws requiring voters with limited English Proficiency in various to devote to returning citizens upon completion of their significantly the department of justice has been largely absent in the face of this voting discrimination. These types of voting the Justice Department has filed three bills against voting changes that discriminate that would have would have been prepared under section 5 of the Voting Rights act. By contrast the Lawyers Committee has brought 14 cases involving voting changes, 11 of which were in jurisdictions formerly covered by section 5 of the Voting Rights act. In short efforts to block access to the ballot continue. Findings of discrimination that were present when the Supreme Court decided the Shelby County decision illustrates that Current Conditions exist and do require not only the full protections of the Voting Rights act the robust enforcement of all federal laws. The department of Justice Needs to do more. Needs to be more of a partner with organizations like the Lawyers Committee who fight against voting discrimination. It is important that Congress Acts to ensure that there is no backsliding after many decades a trajectory of passing laws to ensure the prominence of art democracy that all eligible citizens have access to the ballot. This has begun with the passage of the for the people act, h. R. 1 and the Voting Rights advancement act by this body and this important work must continue to ensure that we dont backslide and all eligible voters have access to the ballot and that their votes will be counted. Thank you. Thank you. Ms. Nash you are now recognized for five minutes. Chairwoman maloney, Ranking Member jordan, members of the committee, fellow citizens i want to begin by noting the work of reference james. He was my former husband who is now deceased for james and i were partners in our work on the soma right to Vote Movement which was one of the major efforts that led to the passage of the Voting Rights act of 1965 our son is present today and contributed to the forming of my statement for this committee. The letter from chairwoman maloney who testified today said the hearing will examine current heir ears especially those in minority communities in exercising their right to vote and lessons from the Civil Rights Movement about how we can overcome these barriers to ensure the 2020 section is free and fair. Black voters and many nonlacked voters are in a worse place now than we were when the Voting Rights act was passed in 1965. Again we did not have Citizens United. Citizens can afford to make Campaign Contributions and those who cannot afford to make large contributions did not have with wealthier voters. We need to establish one person, one vote. Congress had made the signing of the Voting Rights of 1965 but i believe Supreme Court justices candidate thomas alito and roberts have voted to gut the Voting Rights act knew that removing the provision that required states to receive federal approval for changes in voting procedures would result in the curtailing of Voting Rights for minorities. I did not leave for one second that they really thought the provision was no longer needed as Justice Roberts wrote. We knew the results would be gerrymandering and voting suppression and those five justices knew it also because they are as smart as you and i. So, five justices of the United States Supreme Court suppressed Voting Rights and undermine democracy deliberately. Sometimes those opposed to the enslaved africans have equal rights and due progress in Civil Rights Organizations spend years working to recover progress that was unnecessarily rolled back. They give us a hamster wheel on which to run. James chaney Andrew Goodman and Michael Schwerner Jimmy Lee Jackson viola lee is so reverend james reed and others lives were taken. People were eaten into unconsciousness. People from the 10 and permanently injured. Families were evicted from their homes in order to obtain the right to vote. I do not appreciate. In 1867 the u. S. Supreme court chief Justice Roger cheney who wrote for the majority wrote that the new growth had quote no rights which the white man was bound to a fact end quote. Legislation to restore measures when the Supreme Court gutted the Voting Rights act is needed but it is not enough. To stop their would be a hamster wheel. We need legislation to get money out of political campaigns and have government funding of political campaigns. We need to dollars the Electoral College Political Parties need to eliminate superdelegates. All these exist because some citizens try to gain it an edge and have more power than others do. We need paper ballots so that the vote totals can be done if we expect Foreign Countries to respect their democracy and not meddle in our elections we need to stop interfering in their elections. We need to stop the regime change when a country chooses a government that the United States administration doesnt like. You reap what you sow. The chickens come home to roost. What Goes Around Comes Around and a proverb said it comes about overtime because they contain truth and wisdom. How would we like it if another country did not approve of her present we elected and they proceeded to bomb our country as unacceptable to them as head of our government regime change. You have to practice fairness yourself not just when you are being treated unfairly. We should all be constantly looking for unfairness and trying to correct it. Some examples that i want to cite are i think at the beginning of the primary season during the first couple of debates all candidates should be given equal time to speak. Since television is how most people become familiar with candidates and what they stand for networks should have to give equal time to candidates at least for a reasonable period at the beginning of the primary season. Networks should not be allowed to usurp the function of voters by attempting to influence the outcome of elections by featuring some candidates and ignoring others especially early in the contest. When i received the invitation to testify before your committee today i decided that if i could make a contribution, even a small one towards stopping the slide of our country away from democracy and towards the sort of authoritarianism that would be well worth the travel here today. Forces that want to send the United States of america into an authoritarian government controlled the president presidency the Department Just as the majority of the senate and the majority of the Supreme Court. Even as he loses the election of november 2020 i cannot envision President Trump making a concession speech. Rather i can only believe that he is likely to say the election was unfair and in fact he won. My counsel as we should decide now exactly and specifically. Keywords are exactly and specifically. Who will remove him from office should that scenario occur . Dont be caught at the time trying to decide whos going to remove him. Just like the intelligence apparatus is being reshaped we should assume similar efforts are going on in the milithe civn the southern United States follows many of gandhis teachings. Being truthful was one of his most basic teachings. When a person or country has gotten off the path truth will lead went back to a better direction. One of the principles of nonviolent is that it is a mistake to cooperated with wrongforces that want to send te United States of america into an authoritarian government the department of justice and the majority of the Supreme Court even as he loses the election of november 2020 i cannot envision President Trump making concessions speech rather i can only believe that he is likely to say the election was unfair and in fact he won. My counsel as we should decide now exactly and specifically. Keywords are exactly and specifically. Who will remove him from office should that scenario occur . Dont be caught at the time trying to decide whos going to remove him. Just like the intelligence apparatus is being reshaped we should assume similar efforts are going on in the military. When people in the 1960s were risking their lives to get the right to vote we really thought if we got a number of blacks and some right intention on blacks and political decisions the lives of black people as a whole would be improved. What we didnt see coming was that individuals would be elected and would consider their positions their personal jobs instead of representing their constituents and that many would be more concerned with being elected for an additional term instead of representing to the best of their ability their constituents. The Civil Rights Movement in the southern United States follows many of gandhis teachings. Being truthful was one of his most basic teachings. When a person or country has gotten off the path truth will lead went back to a better direction. One of the principles of nonviolent is that it is a mistake to cooperated with wrong things. Some examples of what i think a year before president obamas term was over the senate refused to consider the president s appointment for the Supreme Court. Republicans were allowed to get away with that. Democrats were fond of saying no one is above the law yet when persons ignored they make your time as well pass. Can we tie it up now . Issued by the house of representatives they are allowed to be above the law, violators should have been treated like most americans are treated if we ignore lawful subpoenas. Marshals shouldve arrested them and Court Challenges should have been worried about later. When Brett Kavanaugh was not even nomination was in question and a sham investigation took place, he was allowed to become a justice. When witnesses and documents were denied as evidence in the impeachment trial, that was allowed. The government would be shut down we were produced. You should still shut it down until you get the documents and witnesses that you want. They were necessary in order to have a fair trial. No want to remind you that your written testimony will be made part of the permanent record and we are now at almost 10 minutes when your time allotted chairwoman maloney with deep respect before i left chicago has sent a copy of my statement and told the staff how long it would be and told them if i would not be allowed to finish then i wouldnt come. Thank you for making that point. Please continue with your statement. Thank you. They were necessary in order to have a fair trial. Now those documents and witnesses are necessary for voters to have the information we need in order to cast influence votes in november. The house of representatives has more power than youve been willing to use. You can stop sending certain items. Be proportional. Smaller issues require stringent measures. Very important matters require serious responses. What are you putting up with now . Is the senate refusing to act on the bills you sent them . Are some of those bills designed to protect our elections including the election of november 2020 . You can stop cooperating until what you need to have happen happens. Two persons who were fired or resigned from this administration please do not go away quietly. Speak up, hold a press conference, tell the voters what is happening. We need to know so we can make informed choices. When youre dealing with people like those in the Current Administration who are willing to be unlawful and to disregard the constitution who were taken promptly to violate the oath you have to be emboldened. You teach people how to treat you as dr. Phil says. Democracy in the republic are being assaulted. The democratic elements of the government and small d democratic elements in the government of the citizens had better begin to act accordingly. Our grandchildren are depending on us not to allow the republic to be lost on our watch. I was the coordinator of the freedom ride to desegregate interstate bus travel in 1961. Before they boarded the buses several freedom riders gave me envelopes that they asked me to mail in the event of their death the Founding Fathers and mothers took up arms. If they had lost the revolutionary war they would have been executed. Took work sacrifice and courage to establish the republic are keeping this profound gift the republic they obtain for us will continue to take work sacrifice and courage. Like irvin berlin my fear is the creator wills band beside her and guide her through the night with the light from above. God was the United States of america and all of the people of this planet. Thank you. Thank you and mr. Barber. Sitting in the presence of the mother of the movement we applaud our mother for her courage. [applause] chairman maloney may i stand for an ada issue . Absolutely. I want to thank the chairwoman and Ranking Member and although Congress Persons that are here. Ive sent in extensively written words to this committee that will be entered to the record. I want to say that even from recent history and the continuing reality of Voter Suppression there are some things we must know. I have come from South Carolina what we have seen in the worst attacks since june 25th details and 13. What is it that we now know . We know that when racist gerrymandering plans can be implemented without proper preclear, instate legislatures and the south and other places will justify and draw racist plans that create super majorities that are, as one judge has said, on constitutionally constituted and disenfranchised black, brown, native and for voters. We know that after these unconstitutional legislatures and congressional delegations are seated, they will lie about voter fraud as a pretext for passing racist Voter Suppression laws targeted at black brown and poor voters, and we know that in the south where the south represents 170 of the 270 electoral votes to win the president s and. The courts have called this surgical racism. For instance, in North Carolina, after we had one saying that registers and registration for 17yearold, extremists in the state Legislature Passed an omnibus Voter Suppression bill as soon as the decision came down, stripping the Voting Rights act of its preclearance requirements. Now that the headache has been removed we can begin, and they started rolling back the voter extensions that voter had used in the previous two election cycles. It took us four years in courts over 1000 risks, and others to turn back what should have never been passed by the state legislature in the first place because, as a federal court said and the Supreme Court affirmed it was surgical and and internal racism. That is why i wish my good friend mr. Meadows was still here, from North Carolina, i believe because i wanted to ask him to truly be a friend to the front he claims and support his vision to deal with Voter Suppression because if you cant support my troop, friendship is questionable. Since 2013, Senate Leader mcconnell and speaker banner and ryan work to Keep Congress from fixing the Voting Rights act. Today is 2437 days that republicans in congress have refused to fix the Voting Rights act and some democrats have refused to make this a central issue and push hard enough to expose what is going on. Strong thurman refused to fix a filibuster, the Civil Rights Act of 1939 for one day, and we called him a racist. The congress has refused to fix the Voting Rights act for 247 days today. We dont know all that russia, did but we know what Voter Suppression has done. The politicians and congressional legislation will benefit from racist Voter Suppression, share a policy agenda when they get in office. They have worked as a block to attack anti poverty measures, expand access to health care, they block policies that hurt poor why people mulch, since the total number of poor and low income whites is 26 million. They have long term, unemployment this is the great an ugly irony of racist Voter Suppression the, very people who use it to obtain power, the power they exercise in ways that hurt mostly poor white people. The doctor king spoke of at the end of the summit to montgomery march, that every time there is the possibility for poor whites and poor blacks to come together and vote and transition the society, we always have these efforts. Rod black brown people in percentages are more poor but enroll numbers, more white. It gives us and impoverished democracy what we are seeing and it is nothing more than james crow esquire in a suit, perpetrating as a racist and a suit rather than a sheep. The Poor Peoples Campaign as identified the following necessary investments in democracy and equal protection under the law, which we believe are inextricably interlinked, morally and constitutionally. Number one, we demand the immediate restoration and expansion of the Voting Rights act with a formula coverage that ensures coverage and reinstates preclearance at a minimum for the formerly coverage states and jurisdictions, and an end to racist gerrymandering and redistricting, and we call for Early Registration of 17 year olds, automatic registration at age 18, early voting in every state, same day registration, the enactment of election day a holiday, and a verifiable paper record. We demand the right to vote for the currently and formerly incarcerated. We demand that. We also demand Adequate Funding for polling places to accommodate the full participation in the electorate. We demand statehood and Voting Rights and representations for the residents of washington d. C. We demand the reversal of state laws preempting local governments from passing minimum wage increases and the removal of emergency Financial Management positions that are on accountable to the democratic process. We demand that first nation native americans and alaskan native people retain their tribal recognition as nations, not racist, to make substantive claim to their sovereignty and have full access to the ballot. We demand a clear and just immigration system that strengthens our democracy through the broad participation of everyone in this country, this includes providing a timely citizenship process that guarantees the right to vote and requires protecting immigrants abilities to organize for their right in the workplace and their communities without fear of retribution, detention, or deportation. We demand quality and safety of all persons regardless of Sexual Orientation and gender identity, and we demand equal treatment and accessible housing, health care, public transportation, and adequate income and services for people with disabilities. We call for a full televised debate on Voting Rights, on Voting Rights, full televised bait on Voting Rights, and we declare that Voter Suppression is seen. We do not give voting right to people, we only give it to citizens who are 18 years and older, so to suppress the vote is to, in fact suggest that you have entered a god space and you can determine other peoples reality and to suppress the vote is to suggest that other people did not have the same image of god. Suppressing the vote is a form of political and theological idolatry and seven, and it has no place in this democracy and on this action wednesday, i call on those who have fought against the right to vote and have lied about voter fraud and have pushed Voter Suppression and who have smiled smirking lee added, repent. Repent, for the bible says will undo those who legislate evil and wrap the poor of their right and make women and children thank you. I now recognize myself for five minutes for questions. I now recognize myself for Voting Rights act of 1965 into many of these abuses you have testified to but recently we have seen a renewed efforts to suppress votes through voter purchase, poll closures, and other tactics, our committee has been investigating many of these abuses, for example, in georgia. The state purged more than 500 citizens before the 2018 elections. In texas, the state issued an advisory claiming erroneous sly that thousands of people had illegally voted and threaten these individuals with criminal prosecutions. In dodge city kansas, a majoritylatino city, local officials moved the only polling place outside of the city and gave the wrong address to some new voters. My question to you mrs. Johnston blanco, what impacted these tactics have on minority communities. In short, they keep the minority voters from being able to access the ballot. These laws that have been passed, the way they are being implemented, evident disproportionate impact on minority voters enter litigation has shown that when for example, when a county in georgia had rejected after two ballots, it was disproportionately against minority voters. An exact match of the georgia it implemented, but that proportionate to the amendment against minority voters. So when these laws are passed, what they do is in a sense, keep minority voters from the ballot. Can also miss johnson michael, are barriers, that awful claims that they are trying to stop voter fraud. This is a legitimate explanation of these actions. It. Notice and because in essence what they are doing, is giving eligible voters from the ballot. In texas photo id case for example, our records showed that there were 600,000 registered voters who do not restricted voter id. That is actually required. The isolated incident is the bona fide cannot be used to keep thousand legitimate voters from the ballot. Its not thank you and just like that taxes and things from 50 years ago, today have those on their race neutral face but disproportionately impact black and brown communities. What you believe is motivating the states that are aggressively progressing. Rev. William barbar. Sometimes they are in fact, they seem to be on the face but the court say it was intentional. We were actually to try not to prove intentional racism. We proved in the court. We also had the demo crafty shoe surviving this. We know right now, that if you register to the areas where the black and browns and whites in force, and he 30 percent of black voters to vote, you fundamentally change all of the southern space. We know the battlegrounds are those 170 electoral votes are just 14 states in the United States. We also know that in our state, we saw a massive increase in voting after we won same day registration early voting. The first thing that is on constitutionally, they would after sameday registration early vote. They did not stop a program to extend the vote from being implemented. They took program the voters had already used in two election cycles in 2008. They rolled back. What citizens had actually used two election cycles, because of the fear of the coalition because of the black and brown and white people i can come together. Thank you my time has expired. I am grateful for all of the witnesses for your tireless work to your dedication for this boat. I recognize the man hice from georgia for the amount of time means because people spoke overtime thank you madam chair. I appreciate that. And i will stay within my limits. I think youve to the witnesses here. And for this hearing, the purpose for which is to make sure that there is no Voter Suppression we will learn more about that and butcher quality. The thing is we want to maintain voter integrity in this country. I want to speak specifically about some issues in georgia that have come up. That are misleading. Theyre just wrong. And i want to correct for the record on these things. The fact that is ever been easier or to vote in the state of georgia. In fact, this last election, all demographic groups, have Record Number turnouts. Thats because on the efforts that taken place in georgia to make Voter Registration and voting easier and more accessible to everyone. This last election, mentor in 2018, and 55 percent of eligible voters in georgia actually voted. That is record and its in every demographic category. If that him to 2016, 2014 and 38 percent. In 2010, is 40 percent. And 55 percent. As it turned out. 17 percent better than the previous midterm election. I am proud that within those statistics for the turnouts of minority groups, acrosstheboard, dramatically increased compared to 2014. Africanamerican turnout for example, increased 32 a half percent. Hispanic, and asian american, in the 90 percentile. Increased. These are drastic increases but to the effort, not to suppress but to get voters of all demographic groups to participate. And i know that we went to Great Lengths in georgia infection 2016, they started the automated Voter Registration and we have says in 2016, georgia and many other states as well, but again, it has never been easier in georgia for people to register. Its never been easier in georgia for people to actually voted and yet we hear of examples of, when we were mentioned that thousands of georgians, were not allowed to register. Their application were placed on hold. It is just wrong. The first place, processing registration is in georgia, is not even handled by the secretary of state. It is handled by the local counties. A county level with those Voter Registrations. If someone in a county has a problem with their Voter Registration, they received a letter from their county, not from the secretary of state and in that letter from the county, neighbor told that their status is pending. They were told why it is pending. They were told what needs to be done to correct the problem. And then may surprise some in this room that they were told in the letter, if they could still vote. Yes, think its about. They had to show up, and there were also told the location, where to go. All they had to do, they would get a valid just like everyone else, they had to come with a voter id just like everyone else in the state of georgia has to show up with but they could still vote. That is reasonable. Every effort in the world was made to let them know what the problem was, how to correct it, and where to still go vote and that they were still allowed to vote. In the allegations here are just not true. Some other things. Comments were made that the county and state officials closed more than 200 polling places pretty forget that is very misleading. In the first place, and state officials cannot close polling locations. That again for something this done if the county level. But secondly, our most populated counties and areas in the state of georgia, added polling locations. Thats been taking place since 2012. And thirdly, there was notable increase of individuals voting thoroughly. If this is extremely important. Since 2014, georgia has seen hundred and 25 percent increase in early voting. And again, it is counties that have the polling and so forth. Not the state. It so theres another allegation that hundreds of Voting Machines were missing. While the truth is that was within the federal ordered those hundreds of Voting Machines because of a lawsuit that was taking place by some activists in the three counties involved in that, urged it the judge, to reconsider because it could affect learning. They repeatedly, the plaintiffs counsel refused to cooperate. Madam chair, i sent but it wouldnt go over but i did buy 30 seconds and i thank you for your indulgence on that. But i did want to set some of the record straight as it relates to georgia and with that, i yelled back. Miss norton is recognized for five minutes. It was interesting to hear the gentleman from georgia, recount the many ways the georgia has succeeded in rooting the state of some of its practices. We know some of that is true. Democrats took back this house last year, that would not have happened if many African Americans did not insist on overcoming barriers like purging. I want to cite the extraordinary number of voters in his state, half 1 million who were purged, and most of them were people of color. But i also looked at other states who have something to compare, that is why my question goes to purging in ohio, almost as many, 460,000. So i will go first to miss johnson because, im trying to understand what the response to some purging means that may be legitimate, and they occur in northern and southern states, and whether or not we are meeting purging that may be a violation of a Voting Rights act. Can we clarify what would be legitimate purging and the kind of purging that half 1 million voters have . Theres a difference between maintenance and voter purging. On the national Voter Registration act, elected officials will remember those that have died and move from the voting rules but there is a process. They must first to reach out to those voters and ensure that they are no longer in their residence in their jurisdiction before removing, and two federal elections cycles have to pass. Some of them encounter these delays when they come to vote, and in other words, if you are even parched or heard about it, we only cast your vote. Youre going to be delayed, are you going to come back to vote, would you describe that kind . Voters are sharing up to vote and then finding it out on the roles. This happened in new york, for example, where voters were removed from the voting rules after they had not voted in the past election, in violation of the natural violation act. In georgia, if a voter was challenged and and hancock challenge because they were chao they were removed from the rules in violation of the national Voter Registration act, so there is a process for legitimate removing voters who are no longer eligible to vote in the jurisdiction, but when that is not that case, that is when we see purges. The study by the Banning Center for justice has shown that these voter purchased are happening disproportionately, informally covered jurisdictions. That clarification is important, because for jurors that result in a pressing having to leave the voting place and come again, it seems we ought to be just allowed under our bill. So that we do not in fact say you have to come to the polls two or three times in order to actually be able to vote. So were looking for ways to make sure the Voting Rights act is relevant to todays practices. Miss nash, could i ask you to compare the kind of voting suppression that you encountered, and the kind of voting suppression that the witnesses have testified to today . We guess. Turn on your mic. Okay. Yes, there are. Both voter curtailment in the gym crow area and now are often based on White Supremacy and discrimination against minorities. Even back then we were never told directly that we are discriminating against black people. Instead, there were literacy tests. They said people who cant pass literacy tests would not be allowed to vote. Then we went right ahead and registered white people who did not pass it, and literacy tests were ridiculous, like you would be told to write the state constitution out from memory, and if you left out a comma then you failed. So these things are not straight up, people are not honest. Bold taxes were another thing, they didnt say we were discriminating against black people, they charge poll taxes when wages were starvation. Before never honest and straight up and truthful, they have these subterfuge is, and they had these complications. I think we should just make complicated things simple. Thank you very much. I now recognize the gentleman from texas, mr. Roy, for five minutes. I think the chair. Thank you for holding this hearing, i think all the witnesses from being here today. I was reminded, as we were talking about german, cummings last time i was able to talk to him at any length, my son was here. We talk for sometime, after regaling our mutual affection for the Baltimore Oreos as we head into spring training. Im hopeful that the oils will come out of it this year, and i have a good season in honor of the chairman, i was thinking about him the other day, but the issues that we talk about here today are of the utmost importance. They strike the core of who we are as american citizens, ensuring that all have access to vote and take part in our democratic republic. One thing i would like to make sure to clarify for the record, i do think it is important, i spent a number of years as senator for john cornyn, including during the time of 2005, six, seven, or i guess for, five, six when we were debating the reauthorization of Voting Rights act of 2006, which ultimately led to the shell holding in 2013. And, at the time, there is a great deal of debate and discussion, and at that time i was a council on the subcommittee. And all the staffers knew that youre spending we hours reading records and looking at that data, the striking of the core of what the court found in 2013, far from being, i think, particularly for justice thomas, but far from being a racially motivated decision about Voting Rights, this is a decision about data. It was a data that was being used, 1964, 1968 and 1972 data that was being used to justify section five four b. And this was what was found to be problematic by the courts. I think rightfully so. You cant justify section five preclearance in 2006 based on data from 1968. 1964, 1972, and thats what the court found. I think the court was correct about that. I dont think that should be lost in this discussion, because in that time we had a record, the record was filled with anecdotal examples of, its situations where race might be a problem with respect to voting or that might have been obstacles devoting around the country. If you look to the anecdotal records and i encourage you to look through the records, you will find them dotted all over the country. In many cases in states that were not covered by section five. They were anecdotal examples, with the formula being used in the 2006 reauthorization was flawed. The court rightfully acknowledge that congress got it wrong by driving through a rush reauthorization that was based on flawed data. So what congress should have done was gone through holistically looking at the record in terms of what examples of discrimination exist and obstacles to getting to the polls, that need to be looked at appropriately, scattered around the country, not just looking at the section five through clearance dates, which were defined by 1964, 1968, 1972 data, as the record reflected at the time and 2006 and asked justices found in 2013 in shelby. Thats important for us to remember because that was the legal holding. The other thing to note is, this last weekend by family were members of a large Baptist Church downtown austin texas, weve been going to a Different Church of late, a presbytery in church closer to our home and i went in there and a walk through the door and there was a former colleague of mine in the attorney generals office, david lately. David lees name is scattered throughout these documents because hes the former secretary of state of texas. David lately was working to try to figure out what levels of voter fraud exist in texas. Voter fraud exists and texas. Its real, the question is the number. The numbers that were released last year with david lee and others acknowledge that were wrongly put out prematurely, those numbers were wrong. And he acknowledged that. He lost his job before that, i talk to him. This is a man who is with his daughters, hes a nice guy and david felt bad that data was released that. Way it was wrong. They found out that at least quarter of those numbers were folks that had been naturalized citizens and ultimately voted. There were thousands in that pool of folks that there is indication of real voter fraud, and it is a real problem that were dealing with in texas. In particular because of a very porous border which we have discussed at length in committee. I would just ask us to remember that these are real human beings trying to deal with real problems. As we talk about making sure that really meant beings should all be people to vote, and should be no obstacles to. That so with that, i will turn back over to the chair. I think the, gentlemans time has. Expires mr. Cooper, youre recognized for five minutes. It was my impression i was going to yield to a statement by doctor barbara so u1ykykyc,o, barbara will be happy to yield to you. Thanks to this committee, i have to get to a service. But i want to put three things to my friend from georgia, all of your arguments were tried in the courts and did not work. The fact that you say more people voted. That also was an argument of segregationists. They used to say, which is because some black people made it through to segregation, it wasnt that bad. None of that has ever held up in court. This argument of voter fraud never been brought to court because it cant be brought, it cant be proven in court. You also said that Voter Suppression is not the real issue. Voter fraud is the real issue. Yes, Voter Suppression is the issue. In North Carolina in 2016 well enter 54 fewer voting places in the black community, in 2014, tom tillis won the senate seat by less than 50 of the vote, by only 40,000 votes and a study was done by democracy North Carolina that said that 75,000 votes were surprised. A book called give us the ballot, it says 250,000 votes were surprised. And wisconsin. Even though the president claimed he won by 30,000 votes. We cannot just continue to take oaths and here and lie. Its not true. Record numbers of turnouts have more to do with people fighting against regression then it has to do with them not being affected by Voter Suppression. Lastly, i would say, in North Carolina we had a law already, if you lie and you get caught, five year felony. There was no voter fraud, the fraud is the claim of both from as a way of not dealing with real Voter Suppression. And for those that say that we needed a new formula, i did not agree with that because the states never quit. They never quit, we have to remember on the record that every state that was under the original Voting Rights act, all they had to do was act right 14 years. Thats all. Stop discriminating 14 years, stop suppressing 14 years, dont pass any bills for ten years. And democrats could not resist it. They could not resist it, they could have all been removed but for ten years and republicans have now exacerbated it because they have actually argued in court that retro gretchen is legal because the Voting Rights act is no longer in place. We heard that in court. Retro aggression is legal and one judge, a white southerner from South Carolina ask this question, a federal judge, he said, why is it that you all dont want people to vote. And the whole courtroom became quiet because that is the ultimate question. Why are we more interested in retrograde shun then progression . God bless you. Yields back, mr. Cooper has the remaining time. There is no more revered name, reverend doctor barbara referred to her as a mother in the movement. This is a woman of undaunted courage and she displayed more of it here today. I thought all the testimony of the witnesses were compelling, her sentence and her testimony when she said, and i quote black voters and many non black voters are in a worse place now than they were when the Voting Rights act was passed in 1965. How sad a statement is that . I think especially young people take progress for granted, as inevitable weve heard several statements here today about how we have gone backwards instead of forwards. We havent doctor barbara had mentioned that there were 2437 days in delaying the reforms that we need to see just to restore what we had, he referred to james crow as choir as a suit and then had the statement that rhetoric russian is legal. Thats just a fancy word for going backwards so why is this happening to us today . I do my best to be bipartisan and my friends on the other side of the aisle, this is the only type of red tape that they really love it when it hampers voting. My state of tennessee has gotten really good at it because we just passed and i know the committees look at georgia in texas and kansas and it was the first spill in america that would make Voter Registration efforts criminal when struck down by a federal judge, now they are amending the bill we only have 50 dollar fine for instance. Many of these are minor infractions like a missing citation on the form or an incomplete Social Security number which most people were reluctant to hand out to a stranger anyway but that just like a poll tax in advance and put many of these organizations out of business that seems to be the ultimate goal. Thats one way our state is going backwards, but the congress of the United States, people forget and i wish mr. Roy was here because he apparently has a staffer, forgot to Key Information in 2006, that vote in the u. S. Senate was 98 to zero, there was bipartisan anonymity on that and it was 319 to 33. Tons of our republican friends who were enthusiastic in renewing, only to be undercut by the Supreme Court. So, im hopeful we will pass hr one, im hopeful well get through the senate because the house has already passed it, im hopeful for more than that because most people dont realize that its not an affirmative constitutional right in our constitution for the right to vote. We have many Voting Rights amendments thats mainly to prevent discrimination, which allows states a free reign to reinvent jim crow to suppress the vote. Im hopeful that the 20th amendment will be the equal rights amendment that our chair has champion for a long time, what to be night nice if the 29th amendment guarantee people the right to vote . Then we could have many there for people talk about and we sometimes take for granted because its not really written down and our own constitution. If we could also some of the currents that diane nash showed when she was 21, risked jail time, went to jail, while pregnant to stand up for her basic rights. That is some sort of courage that people in Congress Need to show. So thank you miss nash, you are an icon, all of you are amazing and we need to learn from your fine examples. Thank you. Thank you for that moving statement. The gentleman from kentucky, mr. Massie is now recognized for five minutes. Thank you. Mrs. Johnston, blanco i think i heard you say that you are concerned that photo identification disproportionately disenfranchises minorities when they go to exercise their right to vote. Is that right . What i say is that in our taxes photo id litigation, it showed, and the courts found that the photo id law in texas disproportionately discriminate against minority voters. Do you have that samexx concern in other states . That are trying to pass similar laws . States that are trying to pass voter id laws need to look at the impacts of those laws on eligible voters. When we do our litigation against such laws, thats what we look at because any law that makes it more difficult for eligible voters to vote is a problem. Some states have a photo id requirement to exercise your right to keep their arms. And some states do not have a photo id requirement to keep your bare arms. We know in the states where there is no photo id requirement, there are more people who exercise that right. To keep and bear arms. Are you concerned that the photo id requirement for the right to keep and they are a firearm would also, for the same reasons, disproportionally affect minorities . I will come Voting Rights, im not an expert on the Second Amendment and the impact it has on minority voters what im concerned about is that a photo id laws that keep people from being able to vote, and our texas photo id litigation we had someone who said, i had to choose between my kitchen and voting because you couldnt pay for the i. T. , the underlying documents needed to get her id. Thats what im concerned about. Can you see how it would have the same effect, im not asking you to weigh in on the Second Amendment, im asking if you believe that it could possibly disenfranchise minorities in the same way that it does win voting, as she believe it does in voting. Im trying to understand your question. Are you asking me if minorities have less access to guns because a photo ideas to bear arms. I dont know the answer to that question. Miss, nash you mentioned poll taxes and how they would disenfranchise the pore. And maybe in some cases minorities, is that correct . Mainly, it disenfranchised blacks and they were poor. Some states require a fee to exercise a persons Second Amendment right to keeping their arms, and some states do not require a fee for a person to exercise their right to keeping their arms. Washington d. C. Is in a jurisdiction where you have to pay rather hefty fees to keep and bear arms. Do you believe that requirement, that monetary requirement could also disproportionately disenfranchised African Americans from their right to keep and bear . Arms i dont, know i have to take some time to study that issue from people that know about it. Can you explain why it wouldnt . It seems like a pretty straight analogy. Id really prefer to take time to think about things. I could give you a spur of the moment answer, im sure what that would be, but im sure that would be irresponsible of me. Let me ask everybody one question because some of you have mentioned, iraqi reverend barber was still here, but some of you have mentioned that there are too many barriers for people who served a sentence in obtaining the right to vote again after they have served their time. I would like to ask you miss, nationally believe that a nonviolent felony offender who has served their time should have the right to keep and bear arms restored. Yes, i think after a person has paid their debt to society that all of the rights should be restored. Miss Johnson Blanco, do you believe that a nonviolent felony offender who has served their time should have the right to keep in their arms restored. I will need to think about it, thats not something that i have looked into. But it is a basic constitutional right, and i believe that anyone who has served their debt to six 90 should have access to all available rights. That would include the keep in their arms, the right to own and carry a firearm . Potentially, like i said i would need to think more about that. Is there a reason why you wouldnt let them have their right to keep and bear arms guaranteed in the constitution, if they are nonviolent felony offenders who have served their . Time theres no reason that i can think about the moment, no i cant think of one either mr. Jenkins, would you restore the right of a nonviolent felony offender who serve their time to keeping their arms . If there is no other consideration that would disqualify them, there is an absolute right for people to have political rights, i did not see that there is an equivalency between that and the bering of arms. I think that one of the fundamental things that we are here to talk about is Voting Rights they should not be a bait and switch to have a discussion about bearing arms when the issue is Voting Rights what we need to have an ability to do. You saw on unconcerned about the sound unconcerned about these laws that, it seems to me, that you all wouldnt agree disproportionately disenfranchised minorities from exercising a basic constitutional right, and just wrapping up, i know my time has expired, i want to say that im glad it looks like we have unanimous agreement here, at least nobody here at least asserts that to keep in their, arms after they have served their sentence like the record show, that nobody has died because of their being deprived of being denied guns. Mr. Jenkins, thats false and give you multiple examples i had a staffer who worked for me whose husband was shot in front of her and megan for zein. Her time has expired. Finish. What youre saying is incorrect. I had a staffer who worked for me, she watched her husband begun down in front of her in a gun free zone because her firearm, she followed the law, and left her firearm in the vehicle. So did not tell me, and did not tell her that nobody has ever died because they were deprived of the right to keep in their arms let me tell you this, the whole business of being able to vote its not intermixed with the business of bearing arms you are taking the time that were trying to deal with a constitutional right to be a citizen and turning it into Something Else to use another forum, we dont have many opportunities to get a right to vote. We dont have an opportunity to talk about the whole business of the way in which the constitution has been distorted, and dont take us off on some rabbit trail the constitution is not a rapid trail, and it looks disingenuous when you are now trying to pick and choose which Constitutional Rights that somebody should have im trying to pick and choose the subject matter of this hearing. Do you understand that this is my time, and im concerned about this issue for minorities because we know it to be true youre filibustering on the question. The gentlemans time has expired. The gentleman from virginia, mr. Calmly, youre recognized for five minutes i think the chairwoman. Mr. Jenkins, you just saw and experienced the distraction that occurs on the other side of the aisle because they dont want to talk about Voting Rights protection. If we start with the constitution of the United States, the first thing we should be concerned about is protecting the sacred franchise of the right of every american to be able to vote instead, he want to talk about gun control because hes uncomfortable, apparently, talking about your right and my road to vote unimpeded this country is experiencing an epidemic of Voter Suppression measures, since republicans took over state houses and governors mansions all over the country. Strict voting at the laws that many people of color cannot meet and they know it. Whimsical, capricious j yky it may not be deliberate, but its de facto voter discrimination the people and river oaks were not going to be discouraged in 2012, i can imagine going up and down the line saying, please stay, please stay, and they said dont worry. No one is going to take away our vote our right to vote. They were aware of the fact you mentioned, mr. Jenkins that allowed them to have this right vote, they werent about to let it slip away because of a lack of Voting Machines i want to say, i want to thank all of you for being here. This is a sacred topic, its a passion for most of us up here and we cant allow ourselves to be distracted by other topics. Voter suppression is wrong. Anything that impeach the ability of people to vote, or discourage them directly or indirectly, subtly or explicitly is wrong. And we have to fight it wherever we face it. Too many people, as you remind us sacrificed a lot for that a right to be reinserted, for us to finally honor the 15th amendment, and were going to continue that fight until we prevail, and im very proud of the fact that, with a new majority in richmond we have rolled back Voter Suppression measures. We have made it easier for people to vote early, taking away the requirement for some kind of excuse, and we are going to continue to do that in our state and i hope it will be a national movement. So thank you madam chair i thank the gentleman, the denominated back, and i recognize the congressman mr. Grossman for five minutes. Id like to submit to the record im told the Heritage Foundation has 1085 examples of voter fraud. One of the witnesses said it inappropriately that its something that doesnt happen, as a down payment we have 40 here in wisconsin, and theyre running off the other thousand. The second thing, it is obvious the reason why we have photo id, and i sponsored a view and voted for photo ideas, constant because we want to avoid fraud there is a concern that people are going to say they are somebody who is on the voter rolls when they arent without the photo id, then are going to be able to know whether it is that person or not i know something who claims that her mother who is deceased turned up and having voted. So this is why we do this for obvious reasons. I have a couple of general questions. There are many things in this society that you have to do that are arguably more important on a personal level then voting, maybe prescription drugs that need to save your life some states Welfare Benefits, going on an airplane on a very important. Trip all of these things you need photo id. And i can imagine if you didnt have your id the inability to take an airplane or prescription drugs, inability to buy a gun or access Welfare Benefits which shake up your life. But for some reason we never hear of people complaining about that. Last night i had to show my id, it wouldve been a real mess for me if i didnt have an id, but nobody screams on these other issues. And i wonder why the advocates makes such a big deal here, and as somebody who advocates for photo id and want people to vote without it or encouraging cheating why on these other things like prescription drugs or some Public Benefits we arent screaming you shouldnt have a photo id . I think the reason is that we are intelligent enough to be able to focus on what the issue is at hand. We are not dealing with prescription drugs. Were not dealing with a lot of the relevant uses a photo id. Where dealing with the right of people to vote and that is what we ought to address dont take us on another track talking about other things that have nothing to do with it there are many other countries, mexico other countries in which you referred to as people of color, mexico, botswana, madagascar, zambia, just a tip of the iceberg on the number of countries that have photo id. I do think all these other countries all around the world feel that photo id is important . You have despotic countries all over the world who want to repress their people by any means possible. They will use all kinds of techniques were not talking about the other discouragement against democratic principles, its our country that has our constitution, its our country that says we the people are supposed to be exercising that right. What youre doing, and this is what defends me, you are charging people who want photo id because we want to make sure that people who are voting are who they say they are, you are claiming racism. The point im trying to make out to you is that there are so many countries around the world, including countries that are nowhere near as multiracial as our country, and they require photo id. I dont think when costa rica or mexico or brazil require photo id, i think its out of the reason that im saying, they dont want people voting, claiming there is somebody who they are not, that sort of thing its very inflammatory to say its for any other reason. We have any evidence of these dozens of other countries that require photo id, i think its for the same question that im for it. I dont like people cheating. If any evidence that there is any other reason for all these other countries around the world having photo id . They are not democracies that are parallel to ours. They do not have a constitution of the United States like ours, they do not have a system that guarantees miss nash . Youre trying to introduce a sees about costa rica, mexico, and other places that have no bearing on the United States constitution and the way in which people should be guarantees the right to participate in their government. Thank you. Ill take my five minutes. I want to take the whole panel for giving us your insight and perspective. You connect us to a noble and honorable moment in american history. So we thank you for your hard work and the sacrifices that you have made. Johnson blanco, i want to start with you mr. Cooper invoked the strange absence of a universal affirmative constitutional right to vote in the u. S. Constitution. We, of course, have a sequence of ad hoc antidiscrimination amendments that were extracted through the blood sweat and tears of social movements, so the 15th amendment set no racist combination in voting, the 19th vindman said no discrimination based on sex in voting, the 23rd amendment gay people in d. C. The right but no where do we get what we find in the universal command of everybody having the right to vote, if you look at the new south africa constitution, that is why we are in the business of fighting to reconstruct our Voting Rights that was dismembered by a five justice conservative majority, treating the Congress Like an administrative law. Like some kind of Administrative Commission demanding to see what our evidence is. My question for you is, is a constitutional amendment on the agenda of the civil rights communities today . It is something that the Service Community is looking at because we are very concerned that a lot of the restrictions that are being imposed are being imposed because there is not an affirmative right to vote in the constitution. We do acknowledge that through our recognizing right to vote in looking at the 15th amendment and the Voting Rights act at least up until Shelby County, where the Supreme Court started to exercise strict scrutiny of congressional efforts. But i appreciate that. Let me turn to you, both of you invoked your late colleagues and friends, others who lost their lives fighting against political White Supremacy in the south, james managers many others have been gunned down, fighting for the right of people to vote. I wonder, looking at the struggles today against the nasa voter purchase, which included millions of people since 2016, looking at the efforts to vindicate the right to vote against this constant undertow of efforts to shut down polling places and make it more difficult to vote, what do you think about the sacrifice of the people that you worked with back in a Civil Rights Movement . What do you say to their families today, because i dont know how many people would actually give their lives in this cause, and what do you say to their family and friends and what do we owe them . I think that people today dont realize how patriotic black people who fought for the right to vote were back in the early sixties just quickly, id like to mention that people who lived on plantations, and had a 15, 16 children would go down to the courthouse to try to register to vote and someone at the courthouse would call back to the plantation and say, you are trying to vote here, about that the time they got back to plantation, they wouldnt have a job and a place to stay with their huge family. They kept doing that, and they knew that was going to happen because it had happened so many times before but they did it for the collective benefit. I would have trouble talking to their descendants today after those kind of sacrifices were made. I think present a owe them to reestablish the democratic right to vote. The right to vote is the basic, we asked republicans are in serious trouble i think that the fundamental of the right to vote is having a democracy. The reason they claim to be a democracy is because it allows everyone to participate in the way in which the Public Policy of the country is being directed. And people that need to understand that right is inherent in them being a human being and being part of politics and the body politic of the United States. One of the things that worries me most is that some young people who are discouraged by the way that the ways that political participation has gone, on that they have given up and walked off. I think it is fundamentally that we recognize not just a handful of names that we know, that the many hundreds of names that we do not know. Remember that when they want to look for the bodies of goodman, cheney, they found hundreds and thousands of skeletons of unnamed people who had died. How many of them were victims of an on democratic system . I think one of the things we have to remember is that fundamentally, we as a country have failed to live up to the ideals we talk about when it comes to practice. Thank you very much, the gentleman from north dakota is recognized. Thank you, mr. Chairman. North dakota is the only state without Voter Registration. We are pretty proud of that and its very unique. But yet we somehow end up in these conversations once in a while. We had a law that was challenged on voter id and 2012, went to the courts and has recently as three weeks ago, there has been a settlement reached between the lawyers representing the native american tribes in the state of north dakota. I dont pretend to know the particular and unique circumstances of every other district. But i do know that if you read the majority staff memo regarding north dakota, which states north dakota passed a law that required identification with the voters current residential street address in order to vote, a requirement that excluded native American Communities on reservations at dont have street addresses. The law affected tens of thousands of native americans in north dakota in an Election Year in which kevin cramer won the race by 35344 votes. That statement is misleading at his most charitable interpretation. What it doesnt say is that in the prior senate race, the democratic candidate won by less than 3000 votes. It doesnt say that in the 2018 race, that that vote margin was just under 10 of the entire vote total. But probably more important, what it doesnt take into account at all, either through complete lack of diligence or intentional omission is that native american turnout was the highest it had ever been in the last 14 years in north dakota. The Turtle Mountains have easily suppressed voting numbers from state and federal elections of the last four years the polls are still open. Quote from Turtle Mountain chairman. The county had the Turtle Mountain reservation reported 5102 votes on tuesday. The highest number in at least 14 years. Including president ial elections. More than 1400 people voted into counties which is completely within this reservation and increase in more than 200 voters from the 2016 president ial election. To imply that a Voter Suppression law which the court found valid was the reason our senator won the election is either intentionally not doing the research on what went on in north dakota, or intentionally placing things in the record that make it seem more severe that it is. And it is not true, we are glad we have reached a settlement, we are glad to be the only state in the country without Voter Registration. Even in north dakota and even on native american reservations. We are proud of the fact we have the easiest access to the ballot in any state. It gets to be a little concerning for me when i see those things about something i know specifically about, that i was a part of, being portrayed in a way that simply not accurate. With that i yield back. The gentleman yields back, i now recognize the gentlewoman from michigan for five minutes. So, thank you so much for being there. I cannot expressed to you how much the spirit of chairman, congressman Elijah Cummings spirit in being effective and efficient, i think you may joy that has happened as a line of questions comes towards you in the spirit of what mother nash has said is how can we uncomplicate something that should be Pretty Simple . I think youve been reiterating the importance of where our democracy, is in the constitution. Just so it is simple, congress has Clear Authority to investigate any level of government to push back any infringement on that right so in the spirit of simplifying this as mother nash has asked us to do, what do you think these folks, which i will call oppressors, what do you think these folks are afraid of . Lets talk about that. I think it needs to be out in the open. Why are they so afraid of us, People Like Us voting . Mr. Jenkins . Basically, its a reflection on the history of america. As i pointed out in my remarks, when they talk about we the people of the United States, and then excluded women, excluded indigenous populations, excluded poor people, they were making a definition of democracy that was only for themselves, and one of the things that i think we have to raise over and over again is that many of the institutions that were created under that mentality are affecting us in the disadvantaged way today. I mentioned the Electoral College. The Electoral College is a barb on the whole face of democracy. What it says is that peoples real estate is more important than their lives. Thats right. And to imbalance the whole system so that people come from states with a handful of populations at the same voted people came from states that have millions of people. That is a perversion of democracy. I noted that, after the remarks that were made about the electoral ballot, not one question was raised about the Electoral College, either the defense or criticism of it, but that is fundamental. We have to be able to deal with basic issues, not superficial issues. Chasing rapids is not what the congress should be doing. Thank you. Okay they dont want us to dismantle the Electoral College, which basically protected land owners and that kind of classes and that was going on in that form of oppression. But in your opinion, from the work that you have been doing and looking at all this form of oppression and making sure that its harder for folks that look like us to the . What i would say in what i have seen in my work is that mr. Jenkins alluded to, our democracy was not founded with the idea that all eligible voters would have access to the polls. And what we are seeing now is that their attempts gives life to the 15 amendment and broadens those who are allowed to vote and our democracy not making the Resources Available and we are also seeing laws being passed that affect certain types of voters theres been this argument that there has been last turnout, but robust turnout in spite of, we saw the video of the long lines, thats a lot of burden on voters to have to take to have their voice heard. No voter should have to wait an hours long lines in order to have their voice heard. Even if there is robust turnout, there are those individual voters, the voters that i care about who are not having the opportunity to vote when they try to engage in the franchise. Those are the voters that ill give you a few seconds, id love to hear about it, the election debut being a important conversation. Getting rid of the Electoral College is an important conversation, talking about this should be easy and with last words of wisdom to all of us and really getting back to the simple question of why they dont want us to vote . Congresswoman i think we congresswoman i think we have to realize that this country was founded on genocide. Against native americans and in slavery was an extremely fundamental institution in our history. The country has never confronted those faxed directly. And officially recognized those as at least mistakes. And done what is possible to do to make restitution. I think that as a result, White Supremacy is still very much with the society. I think we look at the value of lives, of european white americans, and australians, and maybe israelis. Its much more valuable than the lives of people who are asian, african, and latin american. We have to confront that directly. I think more particularly, common ordinary citizens who are whites, need to confront racist white people. There is a fantasy on the part of many whites that they think of themselves as scarlet ohara does. Wealthy whites plantation owners that subject people of color. The president of the United States recently what he saying he welcomes people from norway, that he mentioned immigrants from colored countries. We have to confront this kind of attitude across the board. Definitely. And i think that in the south, particularly the Civil Rights Movement they were afraid that if we had power we would do to them like they had done to us. There is a lot of fear around that. There is something to let people know when they have mistreated people over a period of time. Then they become afraid of them if they have equal power. I think there is a real emotional illness around race. In this country. Thank you for the gentlewoman your time has expired. The chair now recognizes mr. Armstrong for unanimous request consent. Two thank you madam chair i like to unanimously request to articles in the record. What is the pressing voter high across north dakota the secularist with the Bismarck Tribune that says north dakota reservations see record turnout and that is also on novembernovember 7, 2018. Without objection and without objection the following report the justice we placed into the hearing record. This report, addresses claims that the Heritage Foundation document contains almost 1000, over 100 proven instances of voter fraud are grossly exaggerated and devoid of context the chair now recognize the gentleman from maryland for five minutes. Thank you very much madam chair, and thank you to the panelists for your powerful testimony. Im sure as you know, the first piece of legislation the Democratic Caucus brought to the floor of the house in 2019 was hr1 four the people asked. Which was a broad anticorruption bill that addressed many, many things including voter access. Subsequent to that we brought hr ford sugar store and that was passed. Last week or the week prior, we brought congresswoman norton hr 51 into this country which provide statehood for the District Of Columbia and address the century old wrong. We are moving on this side of the aisle in the side of the capital to deal with the issue of voter access. One of the key elements among many and these are things congressman lewis worked on for years and legislation, it was incorporated into the broad automatic Voter Registration. Ms. Johnson, do you believe it rationalizes action to require Voter Registration across the country, nationwide would help americans exercise that right to vote . Yes, i do far too often we are seeing that there are challenges to access Voter Registration. The Lawyers Committee convenes the Election Protection coalition and we have a hotline. We have calls into the hotline where people are not even aware that they need to register to vote. So having the opportunity to have them automatically register to vote would be help with that. There two sides of this conversation clearly. There is this whole issue around renewed connivance is mighty been the phrase you used. So all of these things to play mischief with peoples franchise in terms of new Voter Suppression techniques. Making people jump through hoops, hiding it through a processbased rigmarole when we really note the intent is behind it. So having specific provisions of the law that can address Voter Suppression. In other words address the negative things that are being done out there when it comes to voter access. But at the same time, on the other side of the ledger, we want to reestablish things that can improve and enhance the access and the franchise in this country. So automatic Voter Registration is certainly an example that was contained in hr1. The bill also requires sameday Voter Registration so that eligible voters can register and vote on election day if they are not registered by that point in time. Again can you speak to national sameday Voter Registration and how that might benefit some of the work to combat the voter disenfranchise. I definitely support legislation that improves access to Voter Registration. Including sameday Voter Registration. We want to ensure that voters, when they show up to vote they can do so and often we have found that either they have been wrongly purged or they were not aware they needed to reregister. That they show up and find they can. So to register in real time will definitely improve access to the ballot. Outstanding and thank you for your testimony i yield back. Last question another question into hr one, there was something very important important nationwide restoration of reporting of voter rights for those who are paid their dues and done their time. Can you speak to that provision now come become part of law. I think its important to appreciate that, one of the phenomenal of the American Experience has been the criminalization of race, and the fact that people are often convicted for various things because of their racial orientation. The whole manner in which Law Enforcement has been racialized, has assured more arrests of black people then of white people and when you have something that piggybacks on that discrepancy by having the franchise tied up with the right to vote you are multiplying the effect of racism and i think it is important for us to this aggregate the whole question of criminal behavior from the question of racial identity until we do that we will not have a solution of our democratic issues. I thank you thank you very much for your testimony i yield back. The gentlewoman from new york ocasiocortez is recognized for five minutes thank you madam chairwoman and thank you to alert our witnesses im here today testifying on such a profoundly important issue i think that one of the largest threats that we face in our country today is the unmitigated assault of our democracy and it starts with the assault on particularly African American and black voters in our country. Last year this committee launched investigation into state actions that limit the america the ability to vote in particular the state of georgia i want to talk about georgia they apparently perch more than half a billion voters from the roles lots of new registrations and closed polling places all while he was a candidate for governor. The documents that this Committee Received confirmed many of those efforts and for example in september 2017 the press reported the efforts to challenge them may have violated federal law is strict camp that candidate responded to this by congratulating his Campaign Team writing quote good work. This story is so complaint complex folks will not wait make it all the way through it missed Johnson Blanco, your organization has been active in georgia what is your view of this in there in your state. Yes we have been very active in georgia fighting back against voter discrimination and to answer your question that one of the things that georgia did that i think speaks to the impact of the purchase are related to is that with the exact match lost the georgia had it points to something that the Supreme Court when it founded the Voting Rights and constitutional, voted to the repeated efforts the exact match law was a procedure by the secretary of state i when we won legislation gates that they passed into law and we have to bring to more lawsuits to fight against it and we have a third lawsuit because the exact match law still only applies to those who are naturalized citizens they are not only what do you think of a officer congratulating his team for these reports . Im speechless right because that is one of the things that we confront where we have those who are those who are charged with carrying out our voting laws are also running for office in abusing that its awful. It is just out in yelping it is so out in the open this committee shows the as georgia secretary of state so out in the open that this committees investigation also shows that as georgia secretary of state, mr. Camp, he worked with the white house and the kansas secretary of state with noted ties to white supremacist organizations and individuals. Financial ties, and organizational ties. They served together to produce and promote the president failed voter fraud commission. Lets talk about this voter fraud. The president s allegation that there is mass fraud in United States. They put together a commission when it was forced to disband because they had so little evidence. Their own commission had to be disbanded. What is the connection between the false claims of voter fraud pushed by this administration, and his allies, and the Voter Suppression efforts in georgia and elsewhere that you have observed . I think the false narrative of voter fraud is used to pass laws, that keeps eligible voters from being able to vote. These laws, disproportionately impact minority voters. Of course time and time again, in striking down the laws, show unfortunately impact minority voters. In fact the Fourth Circuit, is striking down North Carolina voter id law, will know was targeted with surgical position at minorities. The court also said it imposes cures for problems that dont exist. Smack if i may, how are all these efforts that were seeing today, any different from what we fought against in the Civil Rights Movement several decades ago . I think weve seen an updated version of what we fought against. One of the things it was really striking for me when i was working on the record that did show voter discrimination when congress reauthorized the Voting Rights act, is the focus on the implementation. We had a commission a National Commission on the Voting Rights act that was a congressman from alabama, who had to take a literacy test. His literacy test was who was the first president of the United States. That was not the same test that was applied to africanamericans as you heard ms. Nash say. We have laws that are seemingly neutral on their face but upon their implementation they showed that they disproportionately affected minority voters. Thank you very much. Gentle lady yields back without objection gives without her colleague and leaders in conscious on these issues, john lewis from the great state of georgia will be inserted into the record. We now recognize the gentle lady from massachusetts. Thank you madame chair and for convening this timely and incredible port and hearing. I had a written statement, but to be frank im still seething from what has occurred moment ago. I guess it is impossible anymore to be disappointed when you are no longer surprised. I serve on this institution and committee with colleagues across the aisle who deny science, the climate crisis, who believe that since weve had a black president we live in a postracial america. Who think that being poor is a character flaw, who believe that we still live or we ever did in a meritocracy. Who espouse the redemption of christ love and grace, but only believe in Second Chances for selective few. So i should not be surprised that they think we are being dramatic about Voter Suppression. Forgive them father for they know not what they do. I just wanted to say thank you, to have the honor to serve in congress with your fellow freedom writer, john lewis, and i wonder if some of the comments that were said here today my colleagues would ever say directly to john lewis. With who is considered to be a national treasure. But i digress. Lets get to the matter at hand, i just know i am 46 years old ive been Movement Building work since i was ten years old. My mother was attendance rights organizer in chicago. Harold washingtons campaign was the first one i worked on. I would not be here is a first person of color and black woman to represent massachusetts in the house of representatives, that took 230 years. And i know i owe a debt to each of you that i can say that. So i just want to say thank you, and i apologize and completely disassociate myself from the comments that were said earlier by my colleague across the aisle. What i want to talk about is mass incarceration. Certainly mass incarceration crisis further exacerbated the many challenges that we have already enumerated here today. And these issues are intrinsically linked. Millions of individuals across the nation have been personally stripped of the right to vote due to involvement in the criminal injustice system. These policies disproportionately impact black and brown communities. In fact one in 13 americans are disenfranchised on the account of this broken system. And they continue to have their bodies where they are being warehoused included in the census for the Community Search words they are usually house. That is a conversation and debate for another day as well. We have seen some states moving forward rein franchising those incarcerated. You pointed out the passage ammendment four in florida. That would reenfranchise 1. 4 million people. But now is it is newly restored rights in florida under attack. How do these compare to the poll taxes that emerge in some states during the jim crow era . I think it is comparable, the 11th circuit which recently ruled against the provision that the legislature imposed to those who have their rights restored on their amendment for noted that the law places those returning citizens who can pay as an advantage over those returning citizens who cant pay. With the new law is saying is that in order for you to have your rights fully restored, you have to be able to pay have fundamental rights that 65 of your fellow citizens said that you are entitled to. So for the purposes of the record, what should formerly incarcerated individuals do to make sure they can exercise their newly restored rights . Since last year alone kentucky restored Voting Rights to a hundred and forty thousand people in louisiana to roughly 36000 individuals. So for the record, what should they do . They should make sure they vote. They register and vote and take advantage of these new laws, these new rights had been afforded to them. Thank you so much and i now recognize a gentle lady from new mexico. She is recognized for five minutes. Thank you madame chair. Ms. Nash, mr. Jenkins missus Johnson Blanco and reverend whos longer here, thank you for your wisdom and truths. For being here and for your dedication to fighting this extremely important issue. Over the past decade, many states have decreased peoples access to voting by closing and moving polling places. Last september report from the Leadership Conference found that seven states have closed more than 1000 polling sites since the Supreme Courts ruling in Shelby County versus holder. Removed preclearance requirements from states that have historically disenfranchised black voters. And you can see it up on the screen, this is a map from the Leadership Conference report. I noticed alaska, which has a large number of native folks living there. So we have also been disenfranchised. Since that court ruling, texas is close 750 polls, arizona 320, georgia 214. Many of these close polling sites are in minority neighborhoods. Ms. Johnson have you seen an increase in the closing of polls in historically disenfranchised communities since the Shelby County decision . We have indeed. And we have been working with our partners on the ground to as much as we can, replace section five and getting notice of when these polling places are expected to be closed. And have very effectively worked with communities on the ground to show the impact it would have on them, if the polling places were closed. And not just closed, but also moved. We had a situation in macon county georgia where the plan was to move a polling place than Africanamerican Community to the sheriffs office. Despite the communities objection, and its only after successfully petitioning against that, that they were able to stop that move. So what were finding is without section five of the Voting Rights act, communities have to be extra vigilant and push back against these closures and their impact. Think youve already talked about this, but what is the impact on communities of color . The communities of color are now finding that they have to do extra work to fight back against those who wish to suppress their vote. This is not a burden that should be on those communities. Particularly those with the history of discrimination in voting should not have to shoulder the impact of laws or actions like moving polling places before they can be do allowed to do so. Thank you. States have also restricted access to polls through onerous id requirements and eliminating early were voting and locations. For example, north dakota pets allowed 2018 that required identification with the voters current residential street address in order to vote. A requirement that excluded native American Communities on reservations that often do not have street addresses because they dont necessarily need them. Were it not for tribal leaders in those areas, and to act fast, and work extremely hard to enfranchise voters in these native communities, ruth anna buffalo a native American Woman from the man. Tribe [inaudible] may not have been elected, thereby defeating the man who penned that oppressive bill. So sometimes democracy still does work in spite of the efforts that people go through to make it not work. Also in 2018, florida tried to prevent public universities from hosting an early voting facility. Early voting at Texas State University in san marcus was limited to three days while most other areas of state had two weeks. And ms. Nash, thank you so much for your passionate testimony earlier, im very grateful to have you here. I wanted to ask you, why is early voting so important in protecting peoples right to vote especially in communitys of color . I am not an expert with the voting but i understand there is heavier voting in communities of color during the early voting process. Thank you, thank you so much. Madame chair i yield back my time. Yields back, the gentleman from missouri is recognized for five minutes. Thank you madame chair and thank all of you all for being here today. The Brennan Center found that 16 million voters were purged between the federal elections of 2014 and 2016. That is almost 4 million more names that were purged from the rolls than between zero six and zero eight. Post shelby its notable that the higher purge rates ticked up on the parts of the country that have a demonstrated documented history of discrimination in voting. Our ancestors knew the value and power of the ballot box even if it was a life or death endeavor. The suppression efforts were steeped in violence and intimidation. A shameful part of our nations history. Let me talk briefly about my states history, missouri. The day i first got elected to congress in the 2000 general election, i was in court that day, challenging what was then known as an inactive voter list. We force the courts to keep the polls open an additional three hours that day, so that people who were standing in line could still get into vote. And then of course the First Press Conference the day after, my republican u. S. Senator called the fbi on me. To investigate and sure enough, the results came back that missouri secretary of state was in violation of the Voting Rights act. Said that was a result, and then we made them change the whole way they purge voters. So they wouldnt violate peoples Voting Rights. Let me ask you, starting with mr. Jenkins. That was the initial occurrence of how we suppress votes in this country, and i guess in the 21st century. That was a bush gore election. But it was a National Strategy on the part of my friend on the other side of the aisle. To suppress communities of colors to vote. We know that since 2000 that has picked up. So mr. Jenkins, tell me what you think is the best way to combat these initiatives like in georgia what happened to stacy abrams. They first violated the rights of those people attempting to register to vote, and then they could not get the court fast enough to stop the purging. What are your recommendations on what we should do to combat this behavior . One the things we need to be mindful of, is the connection between the economic consequences of any changes in voting laws that have the effect of making it more expensive, costly, or impossible for people to meet those new requirements. It is important for us to connect business requirements for photos, and all of these businesses that require transportation to remote places. All have racial consequences. And it needs to be sophisticated in our opposition to those things. In one of those things i think is critical is to have in our educational system, the whole business of civics again. So people are aware of the connection between voting in their right. It is alarming to note, that in many, many, many states, the whole subsidy in education has been eliminated from the curriculum. So people do not learn, when they are in grammar school, junior high and high school, the connection between political exercise and the control of government and the control of their own lives. I think it is important for us to have alternatives, that come from beyond just governmental sources. One of the places i have had some impact on, is in this thing called teaching for change. Which has been aimed at Public School teachers to get them to understand that they can be a voice in their classroom and have people understand their civic rights. I appreciate your response. The witness may answer, this is a historical hearing on a historical major issue for all americans. Ms. Nash did you want to answer . My time is run out in my friend from maryland has given me his five minutes yet. Go ahead. [laughter] i think we need to keep up the drumbeats of what hr1 has passed to this it needs to become law. In one of the things unfortunately we have had to do, as Civil Rights Group in the face of devoted purges is a mount a campaign to check their Voter Registration before going to the polls and to make sure that they are registered. We have also had to bring litigation against inactive, improperly placed active voter rolls. Its a multipronged strategy that we need to engage in. Thank you ms. Nast and trent nash come very quickly. I think the suggestions are certainly important and i agree with those. I would just add, i know it is necessary to counter and to address these issues like fraud in voting and purging and what have you. I would caution against allowing ourselves to be limited by the agenda that the opposition presents. And i said earlier, they give you a hamster wheel to run. Give you a problem and you can spend years satisfying that problem. I say you need to address those problems but also dont be limited to them. Really look at what needs to be done and address all of them. I am particularly worried about the 2020 election in november. Thats one of the things that is the issue of this particular hearing. Measures that are necessary in order to make it a real and fair election. With the senate not considering the important bills that this body has sent, i dont want you to let them do that. If anyones interested i would be happy some of our tactics with the civil rights. Thank you for your response and i yield back. Im sorry. Thank you so much i would to thank all of our colleagues for being here. Think this is a historically important hearing i am humbled to see so many incredible leaders from the Civil Rights Movement, that includes our friend and colleague eleanor norton. Mother nash, you are a heroine to many, many people in our country. I wanted to share with you that we have not only passed important legislation on Voting Rights it would pass a bill to create the first and only Womens Museum in the country dedicated to the contributions, meaningful contributions of women like yourself so that our young girls and boys can learn and be inspired by your work. I am honored to have you here in our room. And thank you so much, ms. Johnson you are making history right now with your Important Court decision. You mentioned many of them today in your testimony. And mr. Jenkins here historic leadership i meant to put in the bill based on what you said today, civics is being removed from the curriculum in the Public Schools. That is wrong. Everyone should study this struggles we went through to win the right to vote in the Civic Responsibility that we all have to vote. I want to return to what i said in my opening remarks which we hurt again so powerfully from our witnesses. And that is history is repeating itself. And in more sophisticated, complicated and more difficult challenges with the Citizens United decision, and with the Voter Suppression tactics that we are hearing that have been updated for today, and some states still are trying to put new barriers to voting. The house has passed critical legislation, want to point out that leader Mitch Mcconnell has not even allowed a debate on these important bills on voter rights . Let alone a vote. We as americans need to get ready and exercise our right to vote in 2020. I want to close in ramming our dear friend and colleague Elijah Cummings. This was the main vision of his mother and of his lifes work. We are continuing with these hearings in his honor. And i am inviting all of our colleagues to come back to this room at 4 00 oclock tomorrow. We are going to be naming the first hearing room, after a member of congress in history and black History Month. There is not one room or facility in the capital named for an africanamerican congressman. We are changing that tomorrow. With this family and i hope everyone comes back to share this important event and honor his memory as we do with his hearing today. Again i am honored to have all of our witnesses. You have all done such an incredible job with your lifes working with your testimony today. Thank you. I now recognize representing minority. Thank you for letting us do all of the talking. I feel like going on for about a half an hour. I know there are so many people back home listening to this hearing and they want a break. So we will let you adjourn