Voting Rights Act (H.R. 9 & S. 2703),Vote this week.
Momentum Resumes for the Fight to Renew the Voting Rights Act - House Vote Expected this Week Call House Leaders and Your Representative Toll-Free to Urge Clean Passage of H.R. 9 July 11, 2006 - Congress has now returned to Washington after the July 4th recess and, thanks in part to the urging of constituents and community leaders like you, bipartisan supporters have resumed their efforts to pass the VRA bill (H.R. 9 / S. 2703). House leaders have said that they will bring H.R. 9 to the floor for a vote as soon as Thursday. Also on Thursday, it is expected that the Senate Judiciary Committee will begin its "mark up"(or consideration)of S. 2703. This may be one of the most critical weeks in the campaign to renew and restore the Voting Rights Act, and it will be vital that Congress hear from YOU at key times over the course of the week! The Leadership Conference on Civil Rights (LCCR) is providing a toll-free number (1-866-808-0065) that you can use throughout the week to contact Congress with your support for VRA renewal, and we encourage you to watch your email and visit RenewtheVRA.org for updates and action opportunities. ***************************************************************************************** What You Can Do Today: Because the House is poised to vote on H.R. 9, House leaders and your representative must hear from you today about the importance of passing H.R. 9 without amendment. While the VRA bill does enjoy bipartisan support, the fact remains that a small handful of extremist representatives who oppose key protections provided by the Act have previously tried to derail the bill's passage. We must ensure that these renegade members do not further stall renewal of the Voting Rights Act or attach to H.R. 9 any harmful amendments that would weaken the Act's protections! Take action! Call your representative today at 1-866-808-0065 to urge that s/he fully support H.R. 9 and oppose any amendments. Then use the same toll-free number to call Speaker Hastert, Majority Leader Boehner, and Minority Leader Pelosi to urge them to use their positions of leadership to ensure that H.R. 9 passes quickly without any amendments. *************************************************************************************** Once you've made your toll-free calls, use the "Tell-A-Friend" feature at the bottom of this message to urge others to do the same. And be sure to visit RenewtheVRA.org throughout the week to find the latest news and updates on legislative activity. Haven't yet signed the Pledge to Protect Voting Rights? Use the following link to add your name and indicate your support for renewing and restoring the Voting Rights Act. http://civilrightscoalition.org/ct/4pxraes1JcGJ/ -------------------------------------------------- Click the link below to encourage your friends to make toll-free calls to protect voting rights! http://civilrightscoalition.org/join-forward.html?domain=civilrights&r=tdxraes1Ljwg