Schatz Statement on Supreme Court Decision on Voting Rights Act

Washington, DC—Today, Senator Brian Schatz released the following statement on the Supreme Court’s decision to strike down Section 4 of the Voting Rights Act:

“Today, the Supreme Court struck down Section 4 of the Voting Rights Act, a key element of the law that provides the formula for determining which state is covered by the law’s pre-clearance requirement.  Pre-clearance of voting law changes is an essential tool for fighting discrimination across the country.  It is a major setback for voting rights that the Court deemed Section 4 of the law unconstitutional.  Congress must act quickly to make sure that the Voting Rights Act continues to stop discriminatory changes in voting laws before they are put in place.  While some might think that discrimination is an act of the past, we have seen several examples for why we still need laws in place to vigorously protect the right to vote.  This is why I have joined Senator Gillibrand in pushing for the Voter Empowerment Act in order to give the federal government additional tools to ensure every voter can cast their vote and have that vote counted.  We should find ways to make it easier to vote instead of restricting one of our most fundamental rights.”

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