Congresswoman Nikema Williams Joins MSNBC Weeknight to Discuss Voting Rights and Republicans’ Redistricting Efforts

Congresswoman Nikema Williams: “They want to let the members pick their voters, and not the other way around”

WASHINGTON D.C. – Congresswoman Nikema Williams (GA-05) joined MSNBC Weeknight last night to discuss the 60th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act, her recently introduced comprehensive voting rights package, and Republicans’ voter suppression tactics:

Alicia Menendez: “Congresswoman Williams, I love that when Raffensperger in Georgia was invoked, you found a way to say, ‘That part.’ Because, indeed, the methods of voter suppression are ever-evolving, and that is part of what you’re addressing in your most recent spate of legislation. Tell me how the legislation meets the moment we find ourselves in.”

Congresswoman Nikema Williams: “You’re exactly right. 11,000 votes in Georgia. 5 seats in Texas. Counting jelly beans in a jar 60 years ago.

We may not still be counting jelly beans in a jar, but they are still attempting the same thing, and that is restricting free and fair access to the ballot for all people in the country who are eligible to vote.

They want to decide who’s eligible. They want to decide who you vote for. They want to let the members pick their voters and not the other way around. And you’ll hear a lot of people tell you that, ‘Well, but Nikema, you’ve been out there and you’ve said that “This is unfair and we should have a fair redistricting process,”’ and you’re exactly right, but this is the game they’ve put before us, and we will step up and we will meet fire with fire, and play the same game.

Because we have people to protect and voting rights to protect. That’s why today, on the 60th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act being signed into law, I introduced a comprehensive voting package with 10 bills—10 bills that would expand the right to vote, make voting more free and fair across the country, and standardize these practices.

The John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act that colleague Terri Sewell has introduced over and over—we got it passed in the House. We gotta get it through the House and the Senate now to get it signed into law so that we can review states that have a history of the things that states like Texas are doing, and states like my state of Georgia, or where I grew up in Alabama.

These states with a history of discriminatory practices against voters—we can reevaluate what that standard should be, what that formula is, so that we make sure that voting is equalized across the board.

What is happening in Texas is happening in other states. We’ve heard people in Florida say that DeSantis might want to try it. My first three years in Congress, I’ve had three different congressional seats, and my maps are back in court right now. They just haven’t been quite as blatant as Texas. So, we have to make sure that people of conscience and that are standing up for the right to vote are speaking up and not being run over in this process. So if you lay the game before us, we’re gonna play the game that we’re dealt.”