This week, Attorney General Gonzales delivered a major speech on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the signing of the 1965 Voting Rights Act.

While Attorney General Gonzalez made clear reference to enforcement of the Voting Rights Act, he ignored reference Georgia’s voter identification legislation recently approved by its legislature. The Rainbow/PUSH Coalition and the US Hispanic Leadership Institute along with other civil rights organizations have urged the Department of Justice to enforce Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act and deny pre-clearance of the new Georgia voter identification law. This bill discriminates against Black, minority and poor voters.

Similar to Georgia, Indiana’s legislature approved voter I.D. legislation and a lawsuit has been filed citing violations of the Voting Rights Act.

While indicating his support for the reauthorization of the Voting Rights Act, Attorney General Gonzales directly addressed the validity of Section 203 that guarantees access to bilingual election materials for those that have limited English proficiency and new citizens trying to learn the language.

However, he ignored Section 5, another key enforcement provision that will expire in 2007 unless reauthorized by Congress. Section 5 is the requirement that states with a documented history of discriminatory voting practices submit planned changes in their election laws for pre-clearance. It is also the provision that has enabled African Americans, Latinos and other minorities to win legitimate political representation in the Congress, state legislatures and other elected offices. Comprehensive and appropriate enforcement of the Voting Rights Act must include Section 5. This enforcement provision cannot be ignored or diminished, or pitted against support for the language provisions contained in Section 203.

Finally, Rainbow/PUSH Coalition and the US Hispanic Leadership Institute and civil rights organization are deeply concerned about the Department of Justice’s inappropriate attempts to inject “voter fraud” into the dialogue on the Voting Rights Act.

Rainbow/PUSH Coalition and the US Hispanic Leadership Institute and civil rights organizations have communicated with the Attorney General’s office requesting a direct meeting to discuss the Georgia voter ID bill, enforcement and reauthorization of the Voting Rights Act. In five years, such a meeting with civil rights leadership has not taken place. We urge Attorney General Gonzales to open these closed doors to the Department of Justice, and meet with civil rights leaders on these critical issues of our time. It cannot shut out the voice calling for full and complete enforcement of the Voting Rights Act, rejection of the Georgia and Indiana voter identification laws, and reauthorization of the Voting Rights Act, inclusive of Sections 203 and Section 5, and for equal protection under the law.