WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congressman Andy Kim (NJ-03) called for Congress to swiftly pass new voting rights protections during a telephone town hall, highlighting the need to reauthorize and enhance the Voting Rights Act and take further actions to strengthen our democracy.
"While I understand there may be disagreements of how we structure our voting laws, every one of us should be able to come together and agree that the right to vote is fundamental to being an American," said Congressman Kim. "I want to thank everyone who joined for an engaging conversation on how we move our democracy forward and look forward to taking your thoughts and ideas back to my colleagues on Capitol Hill."
Today's town hall came one day after Senate Republicans filibustered legislation that would strengthen voting rights, address the influence of big money in politics, and end partisan gerrymandering of Congressional districts. It also comes as the U.S. Supreme Court is expected to rule on Brnovich v. Democratic National Committee, which could further undermine the protections of the Voting Rights Act.
Congressman Kim was joined by Tiffany Muller, President and Executive Director of End Citizens United and Let America Vote, and Anthony Gutierrez, Executive Director of Common Cause Texas, who provided further background on efforts to expand voting rights and outlined current attacks on those rights at the national and state level.
Questions posed by participants on the telephone hall touched on topics ranging from: the role of the federal government in voting laws, the importance of early and mail-in voting in expanding the right to vote, and the definition and impact of ‘dark money'.
From his first month in office, Congressman Kim has been a leader in protecting and expanding voting rights, co-sponsoring both H.R. 1 and H.R. 4. Earlier this year, Congressman Kim introduced the Alice Paul Voter Protection Act, which would protect a citizen's access to vote by prohibiting the interference of voter registration efforts.
Congressman Kim is a member of the House Armed Services Committee, the House Foreign Affairs Committee and the House Committee on Small Business. More information about Congressman Kim can be found on his website by clicking here.
Original source found here.
