Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-GA) laid out a three-step plan for Democrats to expand voting rights if the party regains power in Congress.
“The moment Democrats control even one chamber of Congress, we must launch investigations into the redistricting process that took place in states all across the South,” Warnock said.
He said Congress should compel state officials involved in redistricting to testify and investigate whether they violated federal law.
“We must drag the state politicians who rushed to silence black voices in front of Congress,” he said. “And we must determine if they broke any laws in their rush to rig the maps.”
Warnock accused the Supreme Court of weakening the Voting Rights Act but noted that intentional racial discrimination remains illegal.
“That’s why it’s so important that Congress investigate the process that occurred in these states where they are working clearly to silence black voices,” he said.
“Those who rushed to do Donald Trump’s bidding operated in the shadows,” Warnock added. “We must analyze their statements and actions.”
Warnock also called for granting statehood to Washington, DC, and Puerto Rico, which would add four seats to the U.S. Senate. He further proposed a constitutional amendment explicitly guaranteeing the right to vote.
“When the moment comes, and we have the levers of power again, we must be ready to act immediately,” he said.
Warnock appeared to be referring to the Supreme Court’s April ruling in Louisiana v. Callais, which struck down Louisiana’s second majority-black congressional district and weakened the application of the Voting Rights Act to redistricting cases.