July 28, 2020 - WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Kamala D. Harris (D-CA) on Monday joined Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT), along with all Senate Judiciary Democrats, in a letter pressing Chairman Lindsey Graham to expeditiously hold a hearing and markup on the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act (S. 4263) – a bipartisan bill with 48 Senate cosponsors to restore the landmark 1965 Voting Rights Act that John Lewis risked his life to secure.

With the late John Lewis lying in state within the Capitol Rotunda, Judiciary Committee Democrats urged Chairman Graham to honor his legacy with meaningful action on a cause to which he dedicated his life: voting rights and equality. 

The senators wrote: “The Senate Judiciary Committee must not stand idly by while the precious constitutional rights of so many Americans hang in the balance. The John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act would go far in restoring the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and curtailing some of the worst forms of voter suppression. We urge you to promptly hold a hearing and a markup to discuss, debate, and hopefully move this vital legislation out of committee.”

The senators continued: “The U.S. House of Representatives has already done its part by passing this legislation this past December. Now the Senate must do its job, and that begins here in the storied Senate Judiciary Committee. We cannot claim to honor the life of John Lewis if we refuse to carry on his life’s work.” 

The full text of the letter is HERE.  
Source: Senator Kamala D. Harris