Today, Congressional Black Caucus Chairman Steven Horsford (NV-04) and members of the Congressional Black Caucus issued the following statement regarding the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals’ ruling on Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act:
“Today, the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that there is no “private right of action” for Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act which, if allowed to stand, would be a death knell for the law and would limit the ability of private individuals and civil rights organizations to bring lawsuits under Section 2 to protect Black voters from racial discrimination in voting in Arkansas, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota and South Dakota.
“For decades, private individuals and civil rights organizations have brought forward the majority of Section 2 cases under the VRA – including many cases this year that forced Republican-led state legislatures in Alabama, Louisiana, and Florida, among others, to redraw congressional maps to give Black voters better representation. This decision by the appellate court is ill-advised, cannot stand, and should be appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court, which we hope will reaffirm that citizens have a private right of action to bring forward lawsuits under Section 2.
“Congress must act to protect voting rights for Black voters and voters of color. The Congressional Black Caucus will not stop until we pass the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act to restore the full protections of the Voting Rights Act.”
