Article by:
U.S. Congressman Steven Horsford
As we celebrate Black History Month, the time is ripe to reflect on the civil rights victories we have achieved and the work still to come. In Southern Nevada, powerful Black leaders like Dr. Charles West, Hattie Canty, and Senator Joe Neal spent their lives fighting to build a better future for Black Nevadans. Today, their work continues.
The most expedient way to advance civil rights has long been through the ballot box. In 1965, Dr. Martin Luther King called voting “the foundation stone for political action” as he railed against the barriers faced by Black voters. In response to the civil rights movement, Congress passed the 1965 Voting Rights Act to prohibit racial discrimination in voting.
For four decades following the enactment of the Voting Rights Act, members of Congress worked across the aisle to strengthen the right to vote. The Voting Rights Act was reauthorized five times — in 1970, 1975, 1982, 1992, and 2006. In 2006, then-President George W. Bush signed the Voting Rights Act reauthorization into law in a ceremony attended by luminaries including Rosa Parks, Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackson, and other civil rights leaders.
Despite this progress, the last decade has seen our nation take a step backward on voting rights. In 2013, the Supreme Court invalidated sections of the Voting Rights Act in their infamous Shelby County v. Holder decision. Since then, hundreds of laws have been introduced across the country to limit voting rights. After Donald Trump and his allies made false claims of voting fraud after the 2020 election, at least 19 states passed 34 laws to make it harder for Americans to vote.
Thankfully, Nevada has moved in the opposite direction. Since 2003, the Nevada Voters’ Bill of Rights has guaranteed every voter the right to cast a free, fair ballot without being intimidated or threatened. In 2020, the Voters’ Bill of Rights was added to our state constitution. Last year, Governor Sisolak signed landmark voting rights bills that established a permanent vote-by-mail option, transitioned our caucus to a more representative primary election, and expanded automatic voter registration, among other reforms.
In Nevada, our Democratic leaders in Congress and our state leaders are committed to protecting the freedom to vote. But without Congressional action, threats to voting at the national level could impact our elections. That’s why I voted to pass H.R. 1 (For the People Act) and H.R. 4 (John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act), two bills that would stop voter suppression, prevent politicians from picking their voters, and limit the influence of dark money in politics. H.R. 1 also includes important protections to prevent foreign interference in our elections.
Today, H.R. 1, H.R. 4, and a third bill — the Freedom to Vote Act — await passage in the Senate. President Biden has pledged to sign all these bills once they reach his desk. Unfortunately, a Senate relic of the Jim Crow era called the filibuster is making it possible for a minority of Senate Republicans to keep these bills from passing. In the weeks and months ahead, I hope that the Senate will stand on the right side of history, end the use of the filibuster, and allow progress to proceed.
The freedom to vote is sacred — and thankfully, our democracy has more champions than enemies. As I continue to work on bills that protect our democracy, I urge every citizen to exercise their sacred freedom to vote and vote at every opportunity.