Posted on 06/07/2012 10:58:22 AM PDT by CNSNews.com
(CNSNews.com) – Attorney General Eric Holder told the House Judiciary Committee Thursday that the Justice Department will “vigorously use” anti-Jim Crow provisions in the Voting Rights Act of 1965 to prevent some southern states from purging ineligible voters from their rolls and enacting voter-I.D. laws.
"It is the position of this Department of Justice and certainly this Attorney General that we will vigorously defend and vigorously use Section 5. The need for it is still there."
Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act requires several southern states and counties in states such as California and Florida to get federal “pre-clearance” before they change any voting eligibility laws or voting requirements or procedures.
Originally, the provision was designed to combat the legacy of racist Jim Crow laws passed in some states to prevent black people from voting.
Although Holder stressed the "need" to “vigorously use” Section 5, he did not say which states he thinks are pursuing racist policies that require Justice Department interference.
The Justice Department recently cited Section 5 in a letter to the state of Florida ordering it to stop an ongoing effort to purge ineligible voters from its rolls, focusing on illegal immigrants in particular. Five Florida counties are required to gain pre-clearance from Justice under Section 5.
Justice also blocked a South Carolina voter-I.D. law in December 2011, saying it violated Section 5’s prohibition on racially discriminatory voting laws. In March 2012, the department also blocked a Texas voter-I.D. law again saying that the requirement that people show a photo-I.D. to vote was racial discrimination.
I wish someone would tell Holder to sit down and shut up!
There, that's better. Nothing like protecting illegal voters by disenfranchising legally registered voters. This Administration has done more to racially divide this nation than any Administration in recent memory.
Maybe the plan is to use these laws to reject Electoral College members from certain states?
Impeach him... after the election charge him and if found guilty... let Justice truly be done!
LLS
What the hell does voter I’d laws I’d have to do with jim crow? Impeach this SOB. This is blatant politicization of the DOJ.
The Voting Rights Act of 1965 prohibits states from imposing any "voting qualification or prerequisite to voting, or standard, practice, or procedure to deny or abridge the right of any citizen of the United States to vote on account of race or color."
So how does this apply to any laws aimed at NON citizens?
I cannot understand why this piece of garbage is not in jail yet.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crawford_v._Marion_County_Election_Board
Supreme Court settled this 4 years ago.
Holder claims tha Voting Rights Act of 1965 was intended to facilitate vote fraud.
Holder is wrong.
Connie Mack (R-FL) is one of the seven GOP members in the House Oversight committee that has not agreed to vote for a Contempt of Congress citation against Holder.
The action the Holder is threatening is directed at Florida.
Perhaps Mr. Mack could now be persuaded to vote for the CoC citation?
H0lder is working fast and furiously on vote runnin’.
Holder is looking for the Scott Walker treatment in Florida. Bring it!
I feel like I’m living in a parallel universe.
The list, Ping
Let me know if you would like to be on or off the ping list
Well, nothing like clarification of his position. Holder is all-in vs. the people the United States.
He should appear before Congress sooner rather than later to explain what exactly he intends to do. I perceive his comments as intending to enable fraud, perhaps a RICO act against our AG?
I find it difficult to imagine how any US Citizen would not have some form of ID. A form of ID is required for some of the most basic (a job, a bank account) or inane things (a store shopping card, a fishing liscense).
If the concern is that cost in obtaining ID is a barrier, then perhaps the Mr. Holder’s push should be back upon the State and/or Federal Government to provide ID for a lesser, if not zero, sum?
The States need to tell the DOJ to stuff it.
Section 5 cannot be used to cause a State to break its own laws, not abrogate their Constitutional responsibility to provide equal protection to all voters.
The DOJ has not provided any PROOF of discrimination or other alleged misdeeds.
The States should tie up the matter in appeals, past Election Day, while making their Voter ID laws in effect for the November elections.
Congress can also pass a budget that strips all enforcement monies specifically from Section 5. Problem solved.
It’s about time for the voting rights act to be repealed.
I imagine any use, vigorous or otherwise, of the VRA will come closer to the election so that the vigorous smackdown from federal courts will come after the election.
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