Washington, DC – DNC Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz released the following statement on the 49th anniversary of President Johnson signing the Voting Rights Act of 1965 into law:

“Forty-nine years ago today, President Lyndon Johnson signed the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Building on our nation’s long history of progress on voting rights – including the Fifteenth Amendment, Nineteenth Amendment, and the Civil Rights Act of 1964 – the Voting Rights Act put in place important protections so that every American could exercise their right to vote.

“Unfortunately, these protections are under assault. Last year, the U.S. Supreme Court gutted a key component of the Voting Rights Act in the case of Shelby County v. Holder that enabled prior federal review to ensure non-discrimination before any new voting law went into effect. Since then, Republicans in numerous states have enacted voting law changes that could suppress the vote through discriminatory, burdensome voter ID requirements or restricting early voting periods.

“Democrats are committed to the legacy of the Voting Rights Act by fighting to ensure that every eligible voter can register, that every registered voter can vote, and that every vote is accurately counted. It is time for Congress to honor those who struggled for the civil rights movement by passing the bipartisan Voting Rights Amendment Act and restoring the promise of the Voting Rights Act of 1965.”