Washington, DC (July 13, 2006) – Today, Congressman Rubén Hinojosa (TX-15) voted to reauthorize the Voting Rights Act, a landmark piece of legislation that put an end to the techniques that had been used for decades to deny millions of minorities the right to vote.  The Fannie Lou Hamer, Rosa Parks, and Coretta Scott King Voting Rights Act Reauthorization Act of 2006 reauthorizes for 25 years the Voting Rights Act, which was signed into law by President Lyndon Johnson on August 6, 1965.  The reauthorization passed by a vote of 390-33.

“Today, the House of Representatives reaffirmed our pledge to fight barriers to voting, and ensured that minority communities’ voices are heard, and votes are counted,” said Hinojosa.  “The Voting Rights Act protects our democracy.  Its legacy of success is indisputable.  I am pleased that Republicans agreed with Democrats’ long push to support the reauthorization and honor their commitment of bringing bipartisan, bicameral legislation to the floor.”

Enacted in 1965, and expanded in 1975, the Voting Rights Act provided extensive protection to minority communities by prohibiting any voting practice that would abridge the right to vote on the basis of race.  Any “test or device” for registering or voting was forbidden, effectively abolishing poll taxes and literacy tests.

The Voting Rights Act has played a key role in reversing the widespread disenfranchisement of African Americans and other minorities fostered by segregation and oppression. The success of the VRA has led to significant political achievement and greater minority representation at all levels of government. According to the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights, today there are more than 9,100 African American and 6,000 Latino elected officials across the country and the number of Asian Americans holding elected office has tripled. 

“While substantial progress has been made in the area of voting rights over the last 40 years, we must continue to create a more just, fair and equal society,” said Hinojosa. “The Voting Rights Act was one of the nation’s most crucial civil rights victories and memorializes those who marched, struggled, and died to secure the right to vote for all Americans.  Now, we must continue our efforts to protect the rights of every American voter to ensure the right to vote is never compromised.”