{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://sewell.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/congresswoman-terri-sewell-signs-discharge-petition-force-vote-bill", "Congresswoman Terri Sewell Signs Discharge Petition to Force Vote on Bill to Restore the Voting Rights Act", "2016-06-16", "2016", "2016-06", "Democrat", "House", "AL", "Terri Sewell", "S001185", "sewell.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 Yesterday, U.S. Representative Terri Sewell signed a discharge petition to bring to the House Floor and force an immediate vote on H.R. 2867\u2014Voting Rights Advancement Act of 2015 (VRAA), an bipartisan bill introduced by Rep. Sewell last year.\u00a0 June 25 will mark the third anniversary of the Shelby County v. Holder decision by the Supreme Court that struck down a key component of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 that identified and attacked discrimination before it occurred.\u00a0 As a result, many states around the country, including Alabama, introduced restrictive voting laws preventing eligible Americans from easy access to the ballot box.\u00a0 New restrictions have been put in place in 22 states \u2013 18 of them Republican led \u2013since 2010, making it much harder for millions of Americans to exercise their right to vote.\n\u00a0\n\u201cFor three years, Congress has failed to act to restore the full protection of the Voting Rights Act.\u00a0 \nHouse Republicans are not at a loss for words but are certainly at a loss for action when it comes to the issue of voting rights in our democracy,\u201d said Rep. Sewell.\u00a0 \u201cActions speak louder than words.\u00a0 If House Republicans claim to support voting rights, their words must be manifested through their actions and votes.\u00a0 We must not continue to drag our feet on this serious matter\u201d. \n\u00a0\nI am proud to join the Democratic Caucus\u2019 effort to force an immediate vote on legislation that I introduced to restore and strengthen the Voting Rights Act.\u00a0 America represents the greatest democracy in the world.\u00a0 How can we claim that title when the path to the ballot box continues to be obstructed by restrictive laws that make voting harder and not easier for eligible voters?\u00a0 The answer is this\u2014we cannot.\u00a0 We must renew our commitment to protecting the right to vote for all Americans.\n\u00a0\n\u201cBy passing the Voting Rights Advancement Act of 2015, Congress provides a modern day coverage test to restore the preclearance provisions gutted by the Shelby v. Holder decision.\u00a0 Congress has an obligation and the responsibility to address the threat to free and fair access to the polls through federal legislation to restore and strengthen the Voting Rights Act.\u00a0 I call on House Republican leadership to allow an immediate vote on the bipartisan Voting Rights Advancement Act of 2015.\u201d\n\u00a0\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://sewell.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/congresswoman-terri-sewell-signs-discharge-petition-force-vote-bill"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 3.674076171591878, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}