IV 

115TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. RES. 501 

Expressing support for designation of the month of September as ‘‘National 

Voting Rights Month’’. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

SEPTEMBER 5, 2017 

Mr. VEASEY submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the 

Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committee on House 

Administration, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 

RESOLUTION 

Expressing support for designation of the month of 

September as ‘‘National Voting Rights Month’’. 

Whereas, from 1954–1968, African-Americans in the South 

suffered from the oppressive effects of Jim Crow laws designed to prevent political, economic, and social mobility; 

Whereas African-Americans were subject to violence, poll 

taxes, literacy tests, all White primaries, property ownership tests, grandfather clauses, voter roll purges, and the 

prevention of former prisoners from voting; 

Whereas in 1965, Congress passed the Voting Rights Act of 

1965 to protect the rights of African-Americans and 

other traditionally disenfranchised groups to vote; 


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•HRES 501 IH 

Whereas in 2013, the Supreme Court invalidated section four 

of the Voting Rights Act, dismantling the pre-clearance 

provision in the law that protected voters in States that 

historically have suppressed the rights of minorities to 

vote; 

Whereas, since the preclearance provisions of the Voting 

Rights Act of 1965 have been vacated, many States have 

gerrymandered districts, disproportionately affecting minority voting power; 

Whereas these gerrymandered districts have been found to 

have a discriminatory impact on traditionally 

disenfranchised minorities through tactics that include 

‘‘cracking’’, diluting their voting power across many districts, and ‘‘packing’’, concentrating minority voters’ 

power in one district to reduce their voting power in 

other districts; 

Whereas the courts have found the congressional and, in 

some cases, State legislative district maps in Texas, 

North Carolina, Florida, and Wisconsin to be gerrymandered districts that were created with the intent of 

interfering with the constitutional right to vote; 

Whereas the Shelby v. Holder Supreme Court decision calls 

on Congress to fix the Voting Rights Act formula of 

1965; 

Whereas in 33 States some form of restrictive voting law has 

been instituted since 2013; 

Whereas these restrictive voting laws encompass cutbacks in 

early voting, voter roll purges, placement of faulty equipment in minority communities, requirement of photo 

identification—the procurement of which amounts to a 


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•HRES 501 IH 

modern day poll tax, and elimination of same day registration; 

Whereas more than 80 million minority, elderly, poor, and 

disabled voters could be disenfranchised by these changes 

in voting; 

Whereas in 2016 discriminatory laws in North Carolina, Wisconsin, North Dakota, and Texas have been ruled unconstitutional and overturned by the courts; 

Whereas there are local elected officials who refuse to adhere 

to Federal court decisions that have struck down suppressive voting laws instituted since the Supreme Court’s 

Shelby vs. Holder case; 

Whereas there is much more work to be done to ensure all 

Americans have the right to vote; 

Whereas National Voter Registration Day is September 26; 

and 

Whereas the month of September would be an appropriate 

month to designate as ‘‘National Voting Rights Month’’: 

Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 

2 (1) supports the designation of ‘‘National Vot3 ing Rights Month’’; 

4 (2) encourages all people in the United States 

5 to uphold the right of every American to exercise 

6 their sacred and fundamental right to vote; and 

7 (3) endorses the following solutions to further 

8 the mission of allowing all citizens to vote: 


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•HRES 501 IH 

1 (A) Our Nation’s public schools and uni2 versities should develop an academic cur3 riculum, whereby students learn about the im4 portance of voting, how to become registered to 

5 vote, where to vote, and the different forms of 

6 voting. This curriculum would include teaching 

7 the history of voter suppression in America be8 fore the 1965 Civil Rights Act was passed. It 

9 would also teach students about current issues 

10 that are related to laws that have been passed 

11 to restrict the vote since 1965 or any actions 

12 taken by State and Federal Government offi13 cials since passage of the 1965 Civil Rights Act 

14 that have created barriers to being able to vote. 

15 (B) The Department of the Treasury 

16 should issue a special Fannie Lou Hamer 

17 stamp during the month of September, to re18 mind Americans about how ordinary citizens 

19 risked their lives, marched, and participated in 

20 our great democracy so all Americans would 

21 have the fundamental right to vote. 

22 (C) Congress should allocate the requisite 

23 funds needed for public service announcements 

24 on television, radio, newspapers, magazines, so25 cial media, bill boards, buses, and other forms 


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•HRES 501 IH 

1 of media to remind Americans when elections 

2 are being held, and to urge people to get out 

3 and vote. 

4 (D) Congress should pass legislation that 

5 will allow all citizens upon reaching the age of 

6 18, determined by using birth records, to be 

7 automatically enrolled to vote in Federal elec8 tions. 

Æ 


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