Congressman Alcee L. Hastings (D-FL) made the following statement marking the 50th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act of 1964:

“Fifty years ago, on July 2, 1964, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed into law the Civil Rights Act.  This landmark legislation prohibited discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, or national origin.  Furthermore, governments could no longer discriminate or prohibit access to public buildings, and Jim Crow laws were terminated in the South.

“Over time, the Civil Rights Act would be expanded and strengthened with the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which banned racial discrimination in voting practices.  Together, these two laws enshrine the principles upon which our great nation was founded, and serve as a living testament to all those who have sacrificed to bring an end to segregation and discrimination.  However, as we mark the 50th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act, our nation faces the greatest threat to voting rights since Reconstruction.  

“On June 25, 2013, the Supreme Court ruled in the case of Shelby County v. Holder, thereby eliminating Section 4 of the Voting Rights Act.  Countless individuals have fought long and hard for the right to vote, and we must not allow the clock to turn back on decades of progress.  Let us restore our nation’s commitment to protecting the civil rights of all Americans by passing a strengthened Voting Rights Act.”  

Congressman Alcee L. Hastings serves as Senior Member of the House Rules Committee, Ranking Democratic Member of the U.S. Helsinki Commission, and Co-Chairman of the Florida Delegation.

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