Letter to the Editor: Sen. Collins should back new Voting Rights Act

Sen. Susan Collins recently tweeted a photo of herself with the late Rep. John Lewis, lauding his legacy in the passage of the Voting Rights Act, the watershed 1965 law prohibiting discriminatory voting policies. In 2013 the Supreme Court gutted the powers of the act, opening the door for states to enact policies that make it harder for people, specifically people who are poor and Black, to vote. When communities challenge these policies, conservative judges, many of them confirmed with Sen. Collins’ vote, have upheld them.

I was delighted to learn of Sen. Collins’ support for the Voting Rights Act, because, as a U.S. senator, she is uniquely situated to take action to restore its protections. The Restore the Voting Rights Act has been sitting on the desk of Sen. Collins’ caucus leader, Mitch McConnell, for 227 days. Leader McConnell has refused to bring these essential voting rights protections forward for a Senate vote. Now that we know of Sen. Collins’ support for the Voting Rights Act, I look forward to seeing her take action this week, in memory of the great John Lewis, to convince her party to pass the Restore the Voting Rights Act immediately.

I’m sure that Sen. Collins’ tweet honoring the legacy of John Lewis was an honest statement of her commitment to restoring voting rights, and not a craven political ploy. I await her announcement of the concrete actions she will take to honor Rep. Lewis’ legacy and restore voting rights for all Americans.

Kate Brogan
Portland