FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

January 14, 2022

Media contact: 

e: jeanette.lenoir@mail.house.gov 

c: 202.480.5737

Washington, D.C. — Congresswoman Yvette D. Clarke (NY-09) issued the following statement regarding her votes for the Freedom to Vote Act and the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act: 

“I proudly voted for the Freedom to Vote Act and the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act because voting is the most solemn civic duty available to Americans, and it is one that must be protected at all costs. Along with my Democratic colleagues in the House, we passed both bills and reaffirmed our dedication to delivering voting justice to all. Regrettably, this legislation will face an uphill fight in the Senate. As they have so thoroughly proven throughout recent months, Senators Sinema and Manchin would prefer to uphold outdated rules of a bygone era instead of protecting democracy from the threats of today. Their relentless obstruction has once again stifled opportunity and inhibited progress. Elections should not and must not be bought. And until the Senate is in a position to pass these critical pieces of legislation, they will continue to be sold to the highest bidder. Action is needed today, and we can not afford to stand aside another moment as our democratic principles are eroded by partisan actors masquerading as patriots,” said Clarke.

“Our shared right to vote as Americans is centered in the principle that we have voices of equal power and are entitled to equal treatment. Yet, since this nation’s dawn, many Americans have been discriminately deprived of that right. Their diverse thoughts have been denied, their say in self-governance has been stripped; a sobering, increasingly visible fact in communities across America. Republican lawmakers within state legislatures and the dark money groups who fund them are working to restrict voting freedom at every turn. Through partisan gerrymandering, through economically and racially discriminatory ID laws, and through every illicit tactic at their disposal. Make no mistake, these bad actors will continue their campaign of assault against American democracy if Congress does not take the necessary action to stop them.” 

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Yvette D. Clarke has been in Congress since 2007. She represents New York’s Ninth Congressional District, which includes Central and South Brooklyn. Clarke is Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus Taskforce on Immigration, a Senior Member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, and a Senior Member of the House Committee on Homeland Security.