Statement from AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler and AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Fred Redmond on the Supreme Court’s ruling in Allen v. Milligan:
The South is ground zero in the fight to protect the voting rights of millions of working people, and today the U.S. Supreme Court made the right decision to uphold critical safeguards in the Voting Rights Act that protect communities of color.
But we must not forget that the court’s decision to gut this historic law a decade ago has opened the door for these types of judicial challenges and has empowered extremist lawmakers to restrict access to the ballot box. State legislatures across the country will only continue ramping up their efforts to prevent people of color, women, young adults, LGBTQ+ people and other marginalized people from effectively exercising their constitutionally guaranteed right to take part in our electoral process.
The voices of working people will not be silenced, and we will continue to show up to the polls in full force to uphold our democracy. Now is the time for Congress to do its job and pass the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act to fully restore and permanently protect voting rights, and ensure access to free and fair elections.
Contact: Danielle Noel, 202-637-5018