John,

Today we honor the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. – a civil rights leader dedicated to liberty and justice for all Americans.

Nearly 60 years ago, Dr. King led the March on Washington calling for civil rights and voting rights protections. This march helped lead to the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which outlawed discrimination at the ballot box. In the nearly six decades since, we've made even more progress towards equity and justice. But change has come slowly and our work is far from over.

Last year, attempts to make it harder for some Americans to vote reached levels unseen since the Voting Rights Act was signed into law. These laws were designed by the Heritage Foundation to advantage Republicans, and were introduced – and many passed – by Republicans in state legislatures across the country. Common themes in these 400 bills include provisions to decrease the number of polling locations, restrictions on ways people can vote and when they can vote, and even laws that would allow Secretaries of State or state legislatures to throw out and change the results of an election. These bills disproportionately impact Black Americans and young Americans.

And these efforts to suppress voting rights and undermine election results are nothing less than a threat to our democracy.

That's why in Congress I'm fighting back against any attempts to suppress or invalidate votes. Last year, I was proud to help pass the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act through the House to restore key provisions of the Voting Rights. And just last week, I joined other Democrats in the House to help pass a set of voting rights bills to ensure equal access to the ballot box for all Americans and to ensure every vote counts. But we still need the Senate to act.

On this Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day, will you recommit to the fight to protect the right to vote for all Americans? Add your name if you agree it's time to stand up to voter suppression.