Dear John,

Ten years ago, the Supreme Court declared, incorrectly, that racial discrimination in voting was a thing of the past and gutted the crown jewel of the civil rights movement: the Voting Rights Act. It was an invitation for states to enact voter suppression legislation, and many lawmakers took it — at least 94 restrictive voting laws were passed across 29 states. The protections won by advocates like John Lewis have been systematically weakened, putting the freedom to vote in jeopardy.

Congress can fix this: Lawmakers have just reintroduced the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act. Tell Congress: Pass the John Lewis Act now.

The John Lewis Act would restore the Voting Rights Act, including the key provisions that the Supreme Court dismantled in 2013. States with a history of discriminatory voting policies would once again need to “preclear” new voting laws with the federal government to ensure that the change would not make it harder for people of color to vote.

This bill is extremely popular — including across party lines. A supermajority of American voters support the John Lewis Act. Will you take a stand and demand Congress swiftly pass the John Lewis Act?

This bill’s bipartisan support shouldn’t be a surprise. Presidents Lyndon Johnson, Ronald Reagan, and George W. Bush all praised the legislation’s success at curbing discriminatory voter suppression. But a radical Supreme Court and lawmakers who have manipulated voting maps to stay in power have made it increasingly difficult for people of color to vote.

Only Congress can stop voting discrimination and fix the Supreme Court’s missteps, and the John Lewis Act meets these problems head-on. In order to achieve the thriving multiracial democracy fought for by heroes like the bill’s namesake, we must step up and demand that Congress passes the John Lewis Act:

Thank you for joining us in this fight,
The Brennan Center team