Today, Rep. Donald Norcross (D-NJ-01) released the following statement upon House passage of H.R. 5746, the Freedom to Vote: John R. Lewis Act. The House’s Amendment consists of the legislative text of both the Freedom to Vote Act (S. 2747) and John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act (H.R. 4/S. 4), critical pieces of legislation that will ensure the right to vote, protect against election sabotage, stop partisan gerrymandering, and limit the influence of dark money in politics so that billionaires can’t buy elections. Now passed, a vote in the Senate is the final step before President Biden could sign the bill into law.

“My support for voting rights legislation is unwavering. Today, I reaffirm my commitment to all American voters – be they Democratic, Republican, or independent – to uphold their right to vote. Broad participation in the electoral process is essential to our democracy’s survival.

“Protecting the freedom to vote should not be a partisan issue, yet Senate Republicans have blocked multiple attempts to secure it. The failure of the evenly divided Senate to pass voting rights legislation is unacceptable. It undermines the preservation of our representative form of government, which has acted as a shining beacon to nations across the world and for which many Americans have fought and died. I urge our colleagues in the Senate to come together, put the American people first, and pass this vital legislation.”