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Page Number: 39.0

8 

SHELBY COUNTY v. HOLDER 

GINSBURG, J., dissenting 

constructed  to  prevent  minority  voters  from  fully  partici­
pating in the electoral process” continued to exist, as well 
as  racially  polarized  voting  in  the  covered  jurisdictions, 
which  increased  the  political  vulnerability  of  racial  and
language  minorities  in  those  jurisdictions.    §§2(b)(2)–(3),
120 Stat. 577.  Extensive “[e]vidence of continued discrim­
ination,”  Congress  concluded,  “clearly  show[ed]  the  con­
tinued need for Federal oversight” in covered jurisdictions.
§§2(b)(4)–(5),  id.,  at  577–578.    The  overall  record  demon­
strated  to  the  federal  lawmakers  that,  “without  the  con­
tinuation  of  the  Voting  Rights  Act  of  1965  protections,
racial  and  language  minority  citizens  will  be  deprived  of 
the opportunity to exercise their right to vote, or will have
their  votes  diluted,  undermining  the  significant  gains
made  by  minorities  in  the  last  40  years.”    §2(b)(9),  id.,  at 
578. 

Based  on  these  findings,  Congress  reauthorized  pre­
clearance  for  another  25  years,  while  also  undertaking  to 
reconsider the extension after 15 years to ensure that the 
provision  was  still  necessary  and  effective.    42  U. S. C. 
§1973b(a)(7), (8) (2006 ed., Supp. V).  The question before
the  Court  is  whether  Congress  had  the  authority  under
the Constitution to act as it did. 

II 
In answering this question, the Court does not write on
a  clean  slate.  It  is  well  established  that  Congress’  judg­
ment  regarding  exercise  of  its  power  to  enforce  the  Four­
teenth  and  Fifteenth  Amendments  warrants  substantial 
deference.  The  VRA  addresses  the  combination  of  race 
discrimination  and  the  right  to  vote,  which  is  “preserva­
tive of all rights.”  Yick Wo v. Hopkins, 118 U. S. 356, 370 
(1886).  When confronting the most constitutionally invid­
ious  form  of  discrimination,  and  the  most  fundamental 
right  in  our  democratic  system,  Congress’  power  to  act  is 
at its height.