The Workers Circle responds to the introduction of the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act in the House of Representatives

September 19, 2023
Contact: Lynsey Billet, lynsey@anatgerstein.com 347-361-8449

Today, the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act was introduced in the House of Representatives. Ann Toback, CEO of the Workers Circle responded

The Workers Circle applauds the introduction of the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act that would strengthen the equality of every voter and equal access to the ballot.

The Supreme Court’s decision in 2013 to eviscerate the formula for federal oversight of states with long histories of voter suppression led to a tsunami of state laws to restrict the vote – 58 in the last three years alone.

Today, voters of color, Native American voters, trans voters, rural voters, poor voters, and younger voters face more barriers to registering and casting their ballot than they did a decade ago. This is unacceptable, it flies in the face of our Constitution, and it must be repaired.

The John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act provides the means necessary to end voter discrimination and protect every American’s right to vote.

Our Jewish, immigrant forebearers fled autocracy and fascism for freedom and democracy in the United States. We fought in the early 20th century for women’s right to vote and we marched during the civil rights era, shoulder-to-shoulder with Black Americans to demand voting rights for all. Today we continue the fight to protect the right of every American to vote.

The gains that were realized in the Voting Rights Act of 1965 came at the cost of many people’s lives. Now we see these hard-fought democratic rights rolled back for millions of Americans. That’s why the Workers Circle will continue to take to the halls of Congress and to the streets to insist our nation live up to its Constitutional promise.

We urge the 118th Congress to remember the long, bipartisan history of support for the Voting Rights Act and its reauthorizations, and to pass the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act without delay.

About the Workers Circle

The Workers Circle is a national, secular, Jewish social justice organization founded by Eastern European immigrants who came to the United States fleeing autocracy and persecution, and seeking democratic freedoms and economic opportunities at the turn of the 20th century. That history drives our work for an inclusive democracy and human equality today. Our activism is rooted in 1,000 years of Yiddish culture and tradition. Through strategic social justice campaigns, vibrant Yiddish language classes, and interactive educational programs, we power a multi-generational community of activists that is building “a better and more beautiful world for all.” Learn more at www.circle.org.