June 21, 2001

"We stand before you today united in our commitment to see election reform legislation enacted before the end of this year to ensure that no eligible American will be denied the right to cast a vote, or have his or her vote counted. No one should be sent to a figurative 'back of the bus' when it comes to voting. Clearly we need to repair the system that failed millions of Americans last fall, and ensure that all Americans, regardless of physical disability, race, language minority, or other circumstances, can participate in this democracy by exercising his or her right to vote.

"The right to vote is a fundamental cornerstone of our democracy; indeed, it is the very foundation upon which our democracy is built. But sadly, last fall, that cornerstone was chipped and badly broken when millions of Americans were either ignored, disregarded or shut out of the democratic process. We are not here to lay blame, but to unite in our commitment to fix the system and ensure the franchise for all eligible Americans.

"As an author of legislation, coauthored in the House by Representative John Conyers, D-Mich., to fix the problems of the last election, I pledge as the new Chairman of the Rules Committee to move expeditiously to hold hearings, both here in Washington and across the nation, mark-up a bill, and lead the floor fight to enact meaningful election reform this year.

"Throughout our history Democracy has placed certain inescapable demands on our shoulders. In 1954, the Supreme Court did not rule that states could desegregate schools, but that they must. In 1964, the Congress of the United States did not say that states could provide equal access to restaurants, public restrooms and other public accommodations, but that they must do so. In 1965, the Congress did not say that states could eliminate the poll tax or the literacy test, but that they must do so. And in 1990, the Congress did not say that businesses and other public accommodations could accommodate the disabled, but that they must accommodate the disabled. And 2001, it will not be sufficient to suggest that the states might reform their election systems, but that they must.

"I am committed to working in a bipartisan fashion as the new chairman of the Rules Committee, on this critically important issue, to ensure that the cornerstone of our democracy is once again solid and strong."

Multimedia:
Photos from the press conference