Sen. Luján speaks for voting rights. Listen to his remarks here. Courtesy photo
U.S. SENATE News:
WASHINGTON, D.C.— U.S. Sen. Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) joined Senate colleagues, leading voting rights advocates, and impacted voters from across the country at the U.S. Capitol to reject President Trump and Republicans’ anti-voter SAVE Act. Sen. Luján highlighted the legislation’s harmful impact on New Mexicans and Americans across the country, including the devastating impact the SAVE Act poses on rural, Tribal, and Hispanic communities.
The Senate voted yesterday to consider the legislation, which threatens to disenfranchise millions of Americans. The SAVE Act creates significant and expensive new barriers that would disproportionately impact voters of color, married women and others who have changed their names, rural and Tribal voters, young people, people with disabilities, and low-income communities.
“A great friend and mentor, John Lewis, taught us all a great thing: to fight for justice and stand up for what’s right. That’s why I joined my colleagues, voting rights advocates, and impacted voters from across the country today to fight back against President Trump and Congressional Republicans’ attempt to disenfranchise millions of voters,” Sen. Luján said. “President Trump knows his policies are hurting the American people and is now using the SAVE Act to save Republicans from facing voters in November. I won’t let that happen and will continue to fight back against this voter suppression bill that will take power away from our brothers and sisters in communities across New Mexico.”
Sen. Luján has long been a staunch supporter of protecting voting rights and strengthening American democracy. Sen. Luján championed the Native American Voting Rights Act, legislation to protect the sacred right to vote and ensure equal access to the electoral process for American Indians and Alaska Natives and voters living on Tribal lands.
Sen. Luján also introduced the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, legislation to restore the landmark Voting Rights Act (VRA) and stop the spreading scourge of voter suppression. Sen. Luján introduced the For the People Act, a sweeping package of comprehensive reforms that addresses voter intimidation and suppression, fights campaign corruption, and ends gerrymandering. He also introduced the Freedom to Vote Act, legislation to improve access to the ballot for Americans, advance commonsense federal election standards and campaign finance reforms, and protect our democracy.