PRESS CONFERENCE WILL SUPPORT VOTING RIGHTS BILL, OPPOSE BLANCHE NOMINATION AND SAVE AMERICA ACT, CONDEMN TRUMP SPEECH ON JOHN LEWIS ANNIVERSARY TODAY

A press conference concerning voting rights will take place today on the anniversary of the death of civil rights icon Congressman John Lewis.

It is being held to support voting rights legislation, oppose the nomination of Todd Blanche to head the Justice Department, oppose the Save America Act, and condemn President Trump’s speech last night.

The press conference will take place today, Friday, July 17, 2026, 11:00am in front of the Rodino Federal Building, 970 Broad Street, Newark, New Jersey.

It is being called by the People’s Organization For Progress a civil and human rights group, and the Martin Luther King People’s Convention for Justice and Resistance Planning Committee.

“We thought it was appropriate to have this press conference today because Congressman John Lewis was a champion of voting rights,” Lawrence Hamm, Chairman, People’s Organization For Progress stated.

“We call on Congress to pass the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act. This bill, if signed into law, will restore the protections that have been gutted from the Voting Rights Act of 1965,” Hamm said.

“We oppose the nomination of acting Attorney General Todd Blanche to officially become the head of the Justice Department,” he declared.

“We do not believe that under Blanche’s leadership the Justice Department will protect the voting rights of citizens. To the contrary, we believe the he will use the department to enable President Trump to suppress and disenfranchise voters,” he said.

“We oppose the passage of the Save America Act. We believe the purpose of this bill is to enable voter suppression. It will not save Americans. It will hurt Americans,” he stated.

“President Trump’s speech last night will be remembered as a dark moment in American history. It was a not-so-veiled attempt to lay the basis for him to forcibly subvert the democratic process if he and the Republicans lose the midterm elections,” he said.

The John Lewis voting rights bill has been introduced in the House of Representatives as H.R. 14 and in the Senate as S. 2523. Among other things it would restore the “pre-clearance” requirement for changes in voting procedures in areas that have a history of discrimination against voters.

Those present at the press conference will also call upon the state’s lawmakers to pass legislation that will allow for same-day voter registration. This would make it possible for voters to register and to vote in an election on the same day it is being held.

Recently, The John R. Lewis Voter Empowerment Act of New Jersey was passed by the legislature and signed into law by Governor Mikie Sherrill. It will strengthen voter protections and also require pre-clearance on changes to voting procedures.

“Our organization supported this bill. In May, members of the People’s Organization For Progress, including myself, testified in favor of it before the Senate Judiciary Committee,” he said.

“We were glad to see it become law in the state. It should give voters some protection against Trump’s attempts interfere with and impede our right to vote. It is our hope that the state will vigorously enforce this law,” Hamm said.

The importance of passing the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, the role of the congressman in the struggle for voting rights, and opposition to Blanche’s nomination will be discussed at a forum that will take place the day after the press conference.

“The Attack On Voting Rights And The War On Black People,” will be the subject of a panel discussion that will be held on Saturday, July 18, 2026, 12:00 noon at the Plainfield Public Library, 800 Park Avenue in Plainfield, New Jersey.

Invited speakers at the program will include Adrian Mapp, Mayor of Plainfield, Bill Davis, activist and author, Assatta Mann-Colon, New Jersey institute for Social Justice, and Lawrence Hamm, Chairman, People’s Organization For Progress.

“Congressman John Lewis was a pioneer in the struggle for voting rights. The last time I saw him was in July of 2016 at the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia. I was a Bernie Sanders delegate to the convention,” he stated.

“We ran into each other at the convention center. We spoke briefly and I thanked him for all of his contributions to the Civil Rights Movement,” he said.

John Lewis passed away on July 17, 2020. He was 80 years-old when he died.

“On March 8th of this year, I joined with thousands to cross the Edmund Pettus Bridge to commemorate the anniversary of the “Bloody Sunday” attack on the voting rights march where John Lewis was nearly beaten to death,” he commented.

“As I walked across the bridge I held up a sign that said Protect Our Vote. It had a picture of John Lewis on it.” he said.

“I believe if Congressman Lewis were alive today he would be appalled by these attempts by the Trump regime to strangle the democratic process. However, I think he would tell us to fight with everything we have to save it,” he said.