F. James Sensenbrenner, Jr., July 14, 2006

There is no right more fundamental than the right to vote. It is the core of our democratic system of government, and its effective exercise preserves all other rights. When introducing the Voting Rights Act (VRA) to Congress on March 15, 1965, President Lyndon B. Johnson stated, "No law that we have on the books right now ... can insure the right to vote when local officials are determined to deny it . . ."

Four decades later, on August 6, 2005, our nation celebrated the 40th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act, one of the most successful pieces of bipartisan legislation enacted during the 20th century. The VRA reflects the efforts of a movement, led by great people such as the late Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr., who struggled and fought to eliminate our country’s sad legacy of racial discrimination, and ensure that the rights guaranteed by the Constitution were protected for all Americans.

It was this inequity that compelled me in 1982 to lead the House Republican effort to extend the VRA for another 25 years. This effort wasn’t easy, but then again, important things never are. While I proudly display in my Washington office one of the pens President Reagan used to sign this extension, the fruits of this effort can best be seen on the faces of those participating, and actively serving in, the political process.

With the House’s passage yesterday of HR 9, my bill to extend the Voting Rights Act of 1965, we continue the process to protect the right to vote for all Americans. Though our nation has witnessed significant increases in minority voter registration and turnout, discrimination in the electoral process continues to exist and threatens to undermine the progress that has been made over the last forty years. This is why my bill includes provisions that still require federal oversight of certain states and jurisdictions that have a long history of racial discrimination, so that changes to their voting laws would require the federal government’s stamp of approval. Moreover, HR 9 requires that bilingual voting materials be provided in areas that have a sufficient number of minority citizens who have a limited ability to speak or understand English. This is not a novel proposal, but in fact, an extension of what is already current law.

A shining legacy of the civil rights era is that the right to vote of all citizens is recognized and protected. But hearts and minds don’t always change for everyone. My legislation will ensure that the gains made by minorities since 1965 are not jeopardized, and that the ability of minorities to elect their preferred candidates of choice over the next twenty five years will continue to be protected.

Congressman James Sensenbrenner, a Republican, represents the Fifth Congressional District of Wisconsin. He serves as chairman of the House Committee on the Judiciary. The Fifth District of Wisconsin forms an arc surrounding Milwaukee to the North and West, and includes parts of Jefferson, Milwaukee and Waukesha counties, and all of Ozaukee and Washington counties.