The right to vote is a cornerstone of democracy on which America was founded.  The Supreme Court echoed this sentiment, No right is more precious in a free country than that of having a voice in the election of those who make the laws, under which, as good citizens, we must live.  Other rights, even the most basic, are illusory if the right to vote is undermined.  Following the Civil War, African Americans continued to face hurdles at the polls, including poll taxes and literacy tests.  The Voting Rights Act provided sweeping protections for African Americans by mandating criminal and civil sanctions against persons who tampered with the fundamental right to cast one's vote. 

In this day and age, it's hard to imagine being denied the right to vote on the basis of the color of one's skin.  At the time the legislation was enacted, only one-third of all African Americans of voting age were registered.  Today, as a testament to the success of the Voting Rights Act, African American voter registration rates are nearly on par with that of the majority population.  Additionally, this progressive legislation has paved the way for thousands of minorities to hold elected offices in not only local and state governments but also at the federal level in the United States Congress and the Supreme Court. 

Certain provisions of the Voting Rights Act expire in 2007, such as the pre-clearance and bilingual provisions.   The pre-clearance provision requires that state and local political divisions, with a known history of discrimination, submit proposed changes in voting laws in an effort to ensure the federal government's ability to prevent any laws that promote discrimination.   Additionally, in 1975, the Voting Rights Act was amended to meet the demands of a growing bilingual population, and requires bilingual ballots in parts of the country where there is a significant second language influence.   As your member of Congress in the United States House of Representatives, I am committed to ensuring that these provisions of the Voting Rights Act are made permanent before their expiration to ensure that all citizens have equal ability to make their voices heard. 

Fortunately, we have made progress; however discrimination based on the color of one's skin still exists today. In honor of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, I urge my fellow citizens as you go about your daily lives to remain cognizant of the fact that all men and women are created equal. Our country was founded upon this very principle, and as citizens of this great nation, the very nation where democracy was born, it is important to carry on this legacy.