US bishops to Congress: Fix Voting Rights Act

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) called on Congress Monday to quickly pass legislation protecting voting rights in the wake of the Supreme Court's recent decision that gutted a centerpiece of the 1965 Voting Rights Act.

“We urge policymakers to quickly come together to reaffirm the bipartisan consensus that has long supported the Voting Rights Act and to move forward new legislation that assures modern and effective protections for all voters so that they may exercise their right and moral obligation to participate in political life,” Bishops Stephen Blaire of Stockton, Calif., and Daniel Flores of Brownsville, Texas, said in a statement.

The 5-4 Supreme Court decision overturned Section 4 of the Voting Rights Act, which identified state and local governments with a history of racial discrimination and required that they pre-clear any changes to their voting laws with the Justice Department or a federal court.