Congressional Black Caucus Urges DOJ to Fight Voter Suppression
WASHINGTON, D.C. — On Tuesday, the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) sent a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland urging the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) to “exponentially increase [their] efforts to challenge unlawful and unconstitutional voter suppression wherever it occurs.” The letter was led by Reps. Ayanna Pressley (D-Ma.), Jim Clyburn (D-S.C.) and Mondaire Jones (D-N.Y.) and signed by 41 other Black lawmakers.
The letter recognized that the “coordinated campaign to oppress Black voters” is deeply rooted within American history and a continued legacy of slavery. It points to the promulgation of new voter suppression laws throughout the country and frightening tactics such as Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ (R) recent proposal to create a special force for monitoring elections. The DOJ has recently filed lawsuits against voter suppression laws in Georgia and Texas, as well as against Texas’ newly enacted redistricting maps. The CBC demanded more: “We write to urge you to leverage the full might of the Department of Justice to defend the sacred right to vote for all Americans.”