Protecting the Right to Vote
I am a leader in the fight to ensure that every American can vote without fear of disenfranchisement. I believe a country built on the foundation of civic participation should never tolerate any politically-motivated threats to our ability to express our views at the polls. Recent attempts to intimidate voters and sow doubt in our democracy cannot be left unchecked.
I have always supported the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, along with the Freedom to Vote Act, and other similar bills. I support legislation that explicitly guarantees the right to vote in the Constitution, providing all Americans the affirmative right to vote, and empowering Congress to protect this right. A voting rights amendment would positively affirm our founding principle that our country is at its strongest when everyone participates.
More on Protecting the Right to Vote
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Reps. Mark Pocan (D-WI) and Keith Ellison (D-MN), today introduced H.J.Res.25 with Reps. Steve Cohen (D-TN) and Judy Chu (D-CA) and 21 House Democrats to explicitly guarantee the right to vote in the Constitution. The Pocan-Ellison Right to Vote Amendment would amend the U.S. Constitution to provide all Americans with the affirmative right to vote and protect this fundamental right.
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Rep. Mark Pocan's (WI-02) today released the following statement on President Obama's State of the Union Address. Pocan's guest for the speech was Arianna Goodwin, a constituent from Madison, WI, who has worked numerous minimum wage jobs to support her two young children and is a participant in the Operation Fresh Start program.
Madison, WI — U.S. Rep. Mark Pocan (WI-02) issued the following statement after the United States Supreme Court blocked Wisconsin's voter ID law pending an appeal:
"I am relieved the Supreme Court has recognized the damage Wisconsin's Voter ID law could have on our democracy," said Rep. Mark Pocan. "Poorly implementing a bad law would have been the worst possible outcome for Wisconsin voters. Implementing Voter ID in such a short amount of time would have disenfranchised voters across the state and could have brought the 2014 election results into question."
WASHINGTON, D.C.—U.S. Rep. Mark Pocan (WI-02) today issued the following statement after Senate Republicans advanced S.J. Res. 19, which would overturn the Supreme Court's Buckley v. Valeo and Citizens United v. FEC decisions and allow Congress to enact commonsense limits on campaign spending. Rep. Pocan is a co-sponsor of the House version of this amendment and other right to vote legislation:
Washington, D.C.– Today, U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin, Congresswoman Gwen Moore (WI-4), Congressman Ron Kind (WI-3) and Congressman Mark Pocan (WI-2) sent a letter to United States Attorney General Eric Holder applauding his decision to fight voter disenfranchisement in Wisconsin, specifically Act 23, Wisconsin's voter identification law.
WASHINGTON, D.C.—U.S. Rep. Mark Pocan (WI-02) today issued the following statement on the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin's ruling that Wisconsin's voter identification law unfairly burdens disadvantaged and minority voters:
MADISON, WI—U.S. Rep. Mark Pocan (WI-02) today released the following statement on the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, which featured Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., delivering his historic “I Have a Dream” speech on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial.
WASHINGTON—U.S. Reps. Mark Pocan (D-WI) and Keith Ellison (D-MN), authors of the Right to Vote Amendment that would provide an affirmative constitutional right to vote for all Americans, today issued the following statement after the Supreme Court rejected Section 4 of the landmark Voting Right Act, which contains a formula to determine specified jurisdictions that need federal government approval before making voting changes that could be racially discriminatory. In its ruling on Shelby County v. Holder, the Court determined that the current formula was outdated.
MADISON, WI—U.S. Rep. Mark Pocan (WI-02), a member of the House Budget Committee, today commented on the monthly jobs report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. According to the report, the economy added 175,000 jobs in May.
MADISON, WI—U.S. Rep. Mark Pocan (WI-02) today released the following statement after the 4th District Court of Appeals overturned a decision by the Dane County Circuit Court, which had originally ruled that the state’s Voter ID law violated the Wisconsin constitution.