Vermont’s U.S. Senators are expressing dismay over today’s Supreme Court ruling striking down a central provision of the 1965 Voting Rights Act.
Senator Patrick Leahy said the court’s action means those who were protected by the law will likely face greater difficulty casting ballots in future elections.
“They’ve gutted the most important part of the Voting Right Act, the part that serves to protect millions of Americans from discrimination in voting. Those millions of Americans are now going to face the real possibility, in many cases probability of discrimination in voting," Leahy said.
Leahy, who chairs the Senate Judiciary Committee, said he will now work to strengthen and reconstitute the Voting Rights Act.
Senator Bernie Sanders has also spoken out against the ruling.
“The Supreme Court has turned back the clock on equality in America," Sanders said.