This week, Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Members of the New York Congressional Delegation wrote to New York Governor Kathy Hochul, Speaker Carl Heastie and Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins in connection with the nationwide assault on the Voting Rights Act of 1965 by far-right extremists.

“The toxic effort to obliterate what remains of the Voting Rights Act threatens to disenfranchise millions of people in our state and requires an immediate response,” wrote the Members of Congress. “Our state recently enacted the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Act of New York to protect free and fair elections. In light of the nationwide assault on the Voting Rights Act of 1965, it is imperative that the protections of the NYVRA extend to every single congressional district in New York. Absent such action, the people of our state are vulnerable to the nationwide effort to disenfranchise communities of color and rig the congressional map.”

The Members urged the New York State leaders to take immediate action to protect voters, citing the recent development by the Supreme Court requiring that a case concerning a majority-Black congressional district in Louisiana be reargued. They also pointed to the attempt by the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit to eliminate the ability of individual voters to challenge voting rights violations through a private right of action. In addition, they noted that the Trump Justice Department severely distorted the requirements of the Voting Rights Act in a recent letter to Texas officials as part of a far-right scheme to rip apart five congressional districts currently represented by Black and Hispanic Members of the House. 

“We respectfully urge you to strengthen the New York Voting Rights Act, extend the full protections of this law to congressional representation in New York and take any other actions to protect the integrity of our elections,” the Members concluded. 

Leader Jeffries was joined by Representatives Jerrold Nadler, Nydia M. Velázquez, Gregory W. Meeks, Yvette D. Clarke, Paul D. Tonko, Grace Meng, Adriano Espaillat, Joseph D. Morelle, Thomas R. Suozzi, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ritchie Torres, Pat Ryan, Dan Goldman, Timothy M. Kennedy, Laura A. Gillen, George Latimer, John W. Mannion and Josh Riley. 

Click here to read the letter.

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