Rep. Watson Coleman Statement on Women's Equality Day
Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12) released the following statement today on the recognition of the 97th anniversary of Women's Equality Day:
“?On Women’s Equality Day we celebrate the strength and courage of women and honor the impact of our accomplishments when we unite our voices and demand equal rights, access and opportunity. With the enactment of the 19th Amendment, the women’s suffrage movement stands as a lasting affirmation of our country’s democratic promise. It re-emphasizes the importance of the most fundamental democratic value—the right to vote.
However, we must still acknowledge that, despite our achievements, the right to vote for millions of Americans—women, people of color, the poor, seniors, young adults, remains under attack to this day in spite of our best efforts. With states “targeting African Americans with almost surgical precision”, the dismantling of the Voting Rights Act with the Shelby decision and the Trump Administration’s absurd so-called Voter Fraud Commission fast at work – there is an all-out assault on our democracy. Voter suppression continues to deny our nation’s most vulnerable citizens’ access to the ballot box and consequently silences their voices at the table of progress and change in their community.
We have an enduring responsibility to do everything in our power to ensure that the right to vote is never comprised nor threatened. Speaker Ryan and other Republicans in Congress should bring the Voting Rights Amendment Act(H.R. 2978) to the floor for our vote so that we may combat the injustices sweeping across ballot boxes in our communities. Women have fought for access to the ballot box since this nation’s inception and we must continue to fight to protect our democracy’s most fundamental value - the right to vote.
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