Sheila Jackson Lee arrested during vote for the right to vote in Washington



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“Yes, I engaged in civil disobedience outside the Hart Building (Senate office) in Washington, DC, and was arrested,” Jackson Lee said in a recorded statement provided to CNN.

“Any action which is a peaceful action of civil disobedience is worthy and more of pushing us all to do better and to do more and to adopt (HR) 1, S 1 and to adopt the John Robert Lewis Voting Rights Act”, the Democrat of Texas added in part.

She continued, “The people of Texas are desperate and need it. The American people are desperate and need it.”

In one video of the incident Posted on Jackson Lee’s Twitter account, the MP can be seen having her hands tied by an officer before being taken to a police vehicle. Jackson Lee, who was arrested along with several other protesters, was standing outside the Senate building with a group of protesters and speakers when Capitol Hill police ordered the crowd to move away from the area.

CNN has contacted USCP to comment on Jackson Lee’s arrest.

Last week, Democratic Representative Hank Johnson of Georgia was arrested by Capitol Police during a protest against “Senate inaction on voting rights legislation”. And earlier this month, Ohio Representative Joyce Beatty, Democrat and President of the Congressional Black Caucus, was arrested by Capitol Hill police after participating in a vote for the right to vote that resulted in a march. inside the atrium of the Hart Building.

All three events focused on protecting voting rights and passing the For the People Act. Democratic legislation was passed by the House earlier this year, but Senate Republicans blocked the legislation in late June. Democrats pushed the bill as a way to address the series of voting restrictions put forward by lawmakers in GOP states nationwide.

In a separate Tweeter On Thursday which included a photo of his arrest, Jackson Lee wrote: “I will NEVER stop fighting for the right to vote! The time is NOW to move the franchise bills forward in the United States Senate !! Enough is enough. #BonTrouble. “

The Texas Democratic Party said later Thursday that it supported Jackson Lee “as she faces arrest for demonstrating to defend our right to vote.”

“Throughout history, black women like Representative Jackson Lee have led the way on issues of civil rights and the right to vote, and today as we face the greatest struggles for rights Civics of our time, black women remain the leaders at the heart of this struggle, ”Jamarr Brown, co-executive director of the Texas Democratic Party, said in a statement.

“Throughout history, black women like Representative Jackson Lee have led the way on issues of civil rights and the right to vote, and today as we face the greatest struggles for rights Civic today, black women remain the leaders at the heart of this struggle, ”the statement reads.

Eighteen states have enacted 30 new laws that make voting more difficult, according to a new tally from the liberal-leaning Brennan Center for Justice, which tracks state activity through July 14.

Among the most common provisions, according to the Brennan researchers: measures in seven states that expand the ability of officials to purge voters from registration lists or put voters at risk of having their names inappropriately removed. These laws were enacted in Arizona, Florida, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Texas and Utah, according to the center.

Three of the 18 states with new restrictions have passed general omnibus bills that cover a wide range of voting activities: Florida, Georgia and Iowa.

CNN’s Fredreka Schouten, Ali Zaslav, Paul LeBlanc and Nicquel Terry Ellis contributed to this report.



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