#Kamala Harris calls on Congress to pass John Lewis Voting Rights Act ahead of election

Kamala Harris (left) and John Lewis
AFP; Getty Images

Sen. Harris (D-Calif.) made the congressional call to action in an op-ed published Wednesday by the Washington Post, in which she marked the 100th anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment, which gave women the right to vote.

“We know what we have to do to fulfill the promise embodied in the 19th Amendment: We need to pass the John Lewis Voting Rights Act, support automatic and same-day voter registration and help fund secure state voting systems. And that is what Joe Biden and I will do when we’re in the White House,” the vice presidential hopeful wrote.

Harris, the first woman of color to be nominated for the vice presidency, went on to warn that change “cannot wait until then,” before accusing the Republican Party of attempts at voter suppression.

“They are deploying suppressive voter ID laws, racial gerrymandering, voter roll purges, precinct closures and reduced early-voting days — all of which have been laser-targeted toward communities of color since the Supreme Court gutted the Voting Rights Act in 2013,” she claimed.

Harris is not the first prominent Democrat who has called for the act to be pushed through the Senate.

While speaking at Lewis’ funeral, former President Barack Obama also called on Congress to rename the bill for the civil rights icon and pass it in his honor.

Two blood-spattered Freedom Riders, John Lewis (left) and James Zwerg, stand together after being attacked and beaten by pro-segregationists in Montgomery, Alabama.

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Civil rights leaders, including future Congressman John Lewis (third from left) and Gloria Richardson (third from right), chair of the Cambridge Non-Violent Action Committee, link hands with others as they march in protest of a scheduled speech by the pro-segregationist Alabama governor, George Wallace.

The LIFE Picture Collection via

Freedom Riders in the basement of the Rev. Ralph Abernathy’s church in Montgomery, Alabama

The LIFE Picture Collection via

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“If politicians want to honor John … there’s a better way than a statement calling him a hero. You want to honor John? Let’s honor him by revitalizing the Voting Rights Act that he was willing to die for,” he said.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) has declined to bring up the measure since it was passed by the House of Representatives in December, asserting that there was little evidence to back Democrats’ claims of voter suppression.

“There’s very little tangible evidence of this whole voter-suppression nonsense that the Democrats are promoting,” McConnell told the Wall Street Journal last month, adding, “My prediction is African American voters will turn out in as large a percentage as whites, if not more so, all across the country.”

In her op-ed, Harris went on to tout what she claimed Team Biden is doing to expand voter access ahead of November.

“Our campaign, on the other hand, is committing the resources needed to beat back voter suppression. We need to make sure that everyone who’s eligible to vote is able to do so — and that their vote is counted.

“We’re working with election officials across the country to add early-voting locations. Where possible, we’re providing absentee ballot request forms with prepaid postage and tracking applications to confirm they were submitted, in accordance with state laws. And when necessary, we’ll go to court to protect everyone’s right to access the polls and safely cast their ballot — in person or through the mail,” the Democratic running mate said.