Bishops Urge Legislative Remedy to Supremes' VRA Decision

Some have noted the lack of response from the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops to the Supreme Court's decision to toss out key components of the Voting Rights Act, particularly compared to the U.S.C.C.B.'s rapid condemnation of the court's DOMA decision. Today the bishops issued a statement urging a legislative response to restore protections for minority voting rights that may have been diminished by the court's VRA decision.

Speaking on behalf of the conference, Bishop Stephen E. Blaire of Stockton, California, chair of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development, and Bishop Daniel E. Flores of the Diocese of Brownsville, Texas, chair of the U.S. bishops’ Committee on Cultural Diversity, said the court's opinion on VRA: “necessitates legislative action to assure that no one is denied their right or obligation to participate in public life by voting or speaking out."

They added: "We urge policymakers to quickly come together to reaffirm the bipartisan consensus that has long supported the Voting Rights Act and to move forward new legislation that assures modern and effective protections for all voters so that they may exercise their right and moral obligation to participate in political life."

The full statement follows below:

“The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops has long played a leadership role in securing and protecting the rights of all citizens to vote, including the Voting Rights Act. The recent Supreme Court decision necessitates that Congress act swiftly to assure that the right to vote be protected and afforded to all eligible citizens. Corresponding to this right is the moral obligation that each of us has to participate in public life. In the U.S. bishops’ statement Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship, we wrote ‘In the Catholic Tradition, responsible citizenship is a virtue, and participation in political life is a moral obligation.… Participation in political life in light of fundamental moral principles is an essential duty for every Catholic and all people of good will.’ We urge policymakers to quickly come together to reaffirm the bipartisan consensus that has long supported the Voting Rights Act and to move forward new legislation that assures modern and effective protections for all voters so that they may exercise their right and moral obligation to participate in political life.”

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David Pasinski

5 years 1 month ago

blah blah blah Beginning by defending their own past position seems so trite. Good thing I don't expect any real leadership here.