{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://troycarter.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-carter-statement-louisiana-v-callais-0", "Congressman Carter Statement on Louisiana v. Callais", "2026-04-29", "2026", "2026-04", "Democrat", "House", "LA", "Troy A. Carter", "C001125", "troycarter.house.gov", "troycarter", "https://troycarter.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 Today, Congressman Troy A. Carter, Sr. (D-LA) released the following statement as the Supreme Court issued its ruling in Louisiana v. Callais:\n\n\u201cToday\u2019s decision by the Supreme Court is a devastating blow to the promise of equal representation in our democracy. This ruling is about far more than lines on a map \u2014 it\u2019s about whether Black Louisianians will have a meaningful opportunity to make their voices heard.\n\n\u201cFor decades, the Court\u2019s majority has steadily chipped away at the Voting Rights Act of 1965.The consequences of this decision are immediate and severe: the hard-fought progress that led to the creation of two majority-Black congressional districts in Louisiana is now in jeopardy.\n\n\u201cLet\u2019s be clear: this is not about so-called \u2018colorblind\u2019 principles. History has shown us time and again that policies claiming neutrality, from literacy tests to poll taxes, have been used to silence Black voices. Louisiana knows this history all too well. Without the protections of the Voting Rights Act, there is no evidence to suggest that Black voters in our state will be able to elect candidates of their choice.\n\n\u201cApproximately one-third of Louisiana\u2019s population is Black, yet only a handful of Black citizens have ever represented our state in Congress. That stark reality underscores the continued need for protections that ensure fair and equal representation. When Black communities lose representation, their concerns are too often ignored, and their voices diminished.\n\n\u201cThis decision will embolden efforts to dismantle majority-Black districts and fracture communities that have finally begun to see themselves reflected in their government. This isn\u2019t just about federal representation. This decision will also impact state and local governments, impacting Black representation in state capitols and city council chambers across the country. It sends a dangerous signal that the progress we have made can be undone under the guise of legal theory.\n\n\u201cThe Voting Rights Act is not a relic. It is a living promise, a commitment that our democracy belongs to everyone. It was enacted to correct nearly 200 years of exclusion and injustice, and its protections remain just as necessary today as they were 60 years ago.\n\n\u201cAmerica stands at a crossroads. We can move forward and ensure that every community has a voice, or we can slide backward into a past where representation is reserved for a few. Today\u2019s decision moves us in the wrong direction.\n\n\u201cBut this fight is not over. We will continue to work in Congress and with our communities to restore the protections of the Voting Rights Act and defend the fundamental right to vote.\n\n\u201cWe must not allow the erosion of this promise \u2014 not now, not in Louisiana, not anywhere, and not on our watch.\u201d\n\n###", 1, "2026-05-14T06:11:37Z", "2026-05-14T06:12:56Z"]], "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://troycarter.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-carter-statement-louisiana-v-callais-0"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.7926599830389023, "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"}