Skip to main content

Rep. Sylvia Garcia’s Statement on the Voting Rights Advancement Act

October 23, 2019

Media Contact: Robert Julien (DC) – Email: robert.julien@mail.house.gov; Cell: 202-227-0330

WASHINGTON, DC —Today, Congresswoman Sylvia Garcia joined democratic members of the House Judiciary Committee to pass H.R. 4, the Voting Rights Advancement Act of 2019, out of committee. Congresswoman Garcia released the following statement:

"I support H.R. 4 and its efforts to protect the ballot and advance justice for all, including voters of Latin American descent, which comprise 77% of my district, the 29th District of Texas.

By 2020, Latinos are expected to become the largest non-white voter population in the U.S. The Pew Research Center estimates that 32 million Latinos could cast a ballot in the next national election.

And the increase in anti-immigrant policies and political speech is part of what's driving many Latinos to the polls, as was the case in my district and in Harris County during the 2018 elections.

The right to vote is a critical pillar of American democracy. Enfranchising minority voters will have wide-spread benefits for all Americans and will strengthen our democracy, already the strongest in the world.

LGBTQ people - and transgender people in particular - are vulnerable to voting discrimination and disenfranchisement due primarily to challenges around valid identification documents. Many transgender people do not have forms of ID that reflect their true gender identity, either because they are in the process of changing their documents or face financial or legal barriers to doing so. In addition, many LGBTQ people face compounded discrimination based on other characteristics, including race, age, disability, and economic status.

These vulnerabilities weaken the entire community's voting power.

H.R. 4 aims to maintain elections systems free, fair, and accessible to all eligible voters. Six years after Shelby County versus Holder, Congress must pass the Voting Rights Advancement Act to restore our ability to prevent voter discrimination.

Everyone should be able to cast a ballot free from intimidation and undue burdens.

Couching voter purges as list maintenance is prejudicial and invalidates the credibility of claims of voter fraud. The real problems with our election system are the polling place closures, cuts to early voting, and onerous voter ID laws. H.R. 4 aims to ensure that all eligible voters – particularly those from traditionally underrepresented or underserved communities, including first-time voters, new citizens, the elderly, and low-income Americans – have the opportunity and the information to exercise their right to vote.

The act of voting shouldn't create division, voting should bring us together as Americans, as we are all equal at the polls."

Congresswoman Sylvia R. Garcia was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in November 2018, becoming the first Latina ever to represent Texas 29th Congressional district.