Source: United States Senator for Alaska Lisa Murkowski
U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) issued the following statement after voting against a procedural vote on the Freedom to Vote Act, highlighting her targeted efforts on voting reform:
“Americans need confidence in the integrity of our elections, and we can’t instill that trust with a wholly partisan effort. We also aren’t going to achieve that by micromanaging or federalizing state elections systems—which is the direction the Freedom to Vote Act takes.
“I’m committed to ensuring access to voting is equal, fair, and free from discrimination, which is why I’ve been working with Senators Leahy and Manchin in the context of the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act. There is nothing more fundamental than the right to vote.”
Background: The Native American Voting Rights Act is included in the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act. Senator Murkowski is Vice Chairman of the Indian Affairs Committee, which has oversight of American Indian and Alaska Native issues. An Indian Affairs Committee oversight hearing titled “Voting Matters in Native Communities” is scheduled for next week, October 27. For the past three sessions of Congress, Senator Murkowski has been the sole Republican cosponsor of the Voting Rights Advancement Act with Senator Leahy (D-VT), now known as the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act.