Republicans refuse to act on voting rights protections, criminal justice reform, commonsense gun safety measures
Yesterday House Republicans skipped town to get an early start on their seven-week summer recess, leaving a great deal of work undone, including key measures that are important to the African American community.
- This will be the first presidential election in decades where voters will go to the ballot box without the critical non-discrimination protections provided by the Voting Rights Act. House Republicans have continually refused to bring the Voting Rights Act update to the floor for a vote, leaving millions of people of color and the elderly vulnerable to voter suppression.
- In the wake of shocking gun tragedies House Republicans refused to consider sensible gun control reforms including legislation to prevent suspected terrorists from purchasing firearms and expanded background checks.
- Bipartisan Criminal Justice reforms passed by the House Judiciary Committee last year, but Republican leadership has refused to make a bipartisan package a priority, even as they found time for their 63rd vote to repeal Obamacare.
- And because House Republicans are following the tenor of their standard bearer Donald Trump, the offensive Confederate flag will continue to fly over the nation’s treasures.
“It is very clear that House Republicans are more interested in getting their seven-week vacation started than they are in addressing voter suppression, our broken criminal justice system, or gun violence,” said Jermaine House of the DCCC. “By failing to meaningfully address these pressing concerns, House Republicans have once again turned their backs on African Americans, after standing by as Donald Trump continues a campaign that has alienated minorities since its inception.”