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Press Release
LULAC Commends Bipartisan House Vote on the Voting Rights Act.
We urge swift action by the Senate on this historic piece of legislation.
July 14, 2006
Contact: Lizette
Jenness Olmos,
(202) 833-6130 ext.14
ljolmos@lulac.org
Washington, DC –
Today, the
League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC)
applauds
the U.S. House of Representatives’ renewal of
key provisions of the Voting Rights Act of 1965
that are set to expire in 2007.
“We
applaud the overwhelmingly bipartisan vote in
the House of Representatives to renew key
provisions of the Voting Rights Act,” said LULAC
National President Rosa Rosales. “This is a
great victory for all Americans and the
civil rights community. The VRA ensures that
every American may exercise his or her most
fundamental and important right – the right to
vote. We praise members on both sides of the
aisle for working in a bipartisan manner in
getting this passed.”
Action on the VRA renewal
legislation now moves to the U.S. Senate, and
LULAC urges members of that chamber and the
President to take swift action to secure its
enactment. It is particularly important that
Senators reject any efforts to weaken the bill
with unfair and unnecessary amendments. The
House defeated four amendments that would have
turned the clock back on the progress Latinos
and other minorities have made. LULAC calls on
the Senate to move the legislation forward, with
all of its provisions intact.
As
Chair of the National Hispanic Leadership Agenda
Congressional Scorecard, LULAC will be
recommending this issue to be included in the
Congressional Scorecard for the 109th
session of Congress.
The VRA remains the most
effective civil rights legislation ever passed.
Since 1965, the VRA has enabled millions of
African American, Latino, Asian American and
Native American citizens who were previously
denied access to the polls to fully participate
in the political process and elect candidates of
their choice.
The League of the United Latin
American Citizens is the oldest and largest
Latino civil rights organization in the United
States, advances the economic conditions,
educational attainment, political influence,
health and civil rights of Hispanic Americans
through community-based programs operating at
more than 700 LULAC councils nationwide.
For more information about
LULAC’s campaign to renew the Voting Rights Act,
visit our web site at
www.lulac.org.
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