Washington – Today, U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Chairwoman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Rules and Administration with oversight over federal elections and campaign finance law, released the following statement on the new Texas law rolling back voting rights that Governor Abbott signed.
“The need for federal legislation to protect Americans’ fundamental right to vote has never been more clear. Today Texas joined Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Montana and other states across the country that have enacted laws this year that roll back voting rights. Democratic lawmakers in Texas did all that they could to halt this legislation and protect our democracy. With similar efforts advancing in state legislatures across the country, this is a coordinated effort to limit the freedom to vote, and an effort that demands a federal response. That’s why I am working closely with my Senate colleagues to build consensus on a voting rights bill that will be at the top of our agenda this month.”
In June and July, Senator Klobuchar met with Democratic members of the Texas legislature who had left the state to deny a quorum ahead of expected votes on prior versions of the law signed today, saying, “The great lengths that Texas Democrats are taking to stop voter suppression legislation from advancing in their state underscores the importance of passing reforms to set basic national standards to make sure all Americans can cast their ballots in the way that works best for them, regardless of what state or zip code they live in.”
In July Klobuchar held the first Senate Rules Committee field hearing in two decades when she convened a hearing in Georgia regarding recently enacted legislation in the state to restrict voting. Last month she held a roundtable with Senator Tammy Baldwin and community leaders in Wisconsin on challenges in accessing the ballot box and efforts to restrict voting in their state. The Georgia hearing and the Wisconsin roundtable are part of Klobuchar’s continuing nationwide push to protect Americans’ fundamental right to vote.
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