Press Releases

(Washington, D.C.) – Congressman Larry Bucshon, M.D. (IN-08) released the following statement after voting against the Voting Rights Advancement Act (H.R. 4), a federal power grab that gives the Department of Justice control over state and local elections without any proof of voter discrimination:

“An American citizen’s right to vote is one of our most cherished freedoms.  That is why our nation has robust protections in law, such as the Voting Rights Act, to ensure that discrimination doesn’t impact an American citizen’s ability to exercise their right to vote.  However, House Democrats continue to protest the results of the 2016 presidential election because it did not go their way. H.R. 4 is just another cynical attempt by House Democrats to enact heavy-handed government regulations at the federal level that will give Washington the ability to micromanage state and local election laws and give Democrats an unfair advantage at the ballot box that will silence the voices of Americans that do not agree with them.”

Background

The Voting Rights Act (VRA) is permanent law and does not require reauthorization.  It includes robust protections and remedies to protect Americans from voter discrimination.   

• Section 2 of the VRA already allows lawsuits to challenge state and local voting laws, including through preliminary injunctions.
• Section 3 of the VRA already allows federal judges to put jurisdictions under preclearance requirements when those jurisdictions have a record of actual discrimination in voting.