CHC ON SUPREME COURT’S EVENWEL V. ABBOTT RULING
Washington, D.C. – Today, Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC) Members released the following statements on the Supreme Court’s 8-0 decision rejecting the one-person, one-vote rule. In the ruling, the Supreme Court determined that voting districts should continue to be drawn using census population data, and not changed to count only eligible-voting citizens.
In December, CHC Members issued statements and spoke out on the devastating effects the case would have on the Latino community.
CHC Chairwoman Linda T. Sánchez: “Evenwel v. Abbott was a conservative effort to undermine the growing influence of the Latino community. Today’s unanimous decision is a victory and reaffirms the fundamental principle that in the United States each person counts. The Congressional Hispanic Caucus applauds the Supreme Court ruling and will continue to fight for voting and civil rights.”
Congressman Joaquin Castro: “Today the Supreme Court unanimously defended our democracy and rejected an effort to strip people of their representation. The Evenwel v. Abbott ruling supports the long-held interpretation of the ‘one person, one vote’ legal principle and reinforces the idea that everyone counts in this nation.”
Congressman Ruben Gallego: “The principle of ‘one-man, one-vote’ is a pillar of our democracy, and I am glad that the Supreme Court rejected this blatant attempt to manipulate the redistricting process and disenfranchise low-income and minority communities. Every person deserves representation, and we will continue to fight to make sure that all eligible Americans are able to cast a vote and make their voices heard.”
Senator Bob Menendez: “Today's unanimous and common-sense decision by the Supreme Court to uphold the one-person one-vote principle is a victory for voting rights and for our nation as a whole. This ruling confirms what we have known to be truth over the last 50 years: Every individual deserves to be counted and represented by their elected officials, no matter their race, immigration status, religion, or age. By continuing to give everyone a voice and counting all people when drawing election districts, the Supreme Court has strengthened our democracy.”
Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard: “I am heartened that the Supreme Court has unanimously upheld the lawfulness of drawing state and local legislative districts based on total population. A democracy should represent every single person, regardless of whether they are eligible to vote. Those who are too young to vote should be represented. Those who are not yet citizens should be represented. Those who have had their voting rights taken away should be represented. Today's Supreme Court decision is an affirmation that every man, woman, and child in America has value, even if they do not have a vote.”
Congresswoman Nydia M. Velázquez: “The Court has ruled wisely in rejecting this effort to erase representation among Latinos and young people. Thankfully, the Court rejected this brazen effort to undo fifty years of progress toward equality at the ballot box.”
Congressman Rubén Hinojosa: “Today, I applaud the Supreme Court’s unanimous ruling in the Evenwel v. Abbott case, in which the court resoundingly rejected the idea that only eligible voters matter in our democratic process and rejected right wing attempts to wholeheartedly discount non-eligible voters in determining the apportionment of legislative districts. Members of Congress are elected to represent every person in their districts, not only those who can vote for them. Today’s ruling is a win for equality, justice, and fairness, particularly in states like Texas with large populations of Latinos, children, legal permanent residents, and immigrants.”
Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez: “As we’ve seen rampant voter disenfranchisement across our country, it is critical that we safeguard voting rights. I am relieved that the Supreme Court rejected this challenge to the critical “one person, one vote” principle. Challengers wanted to redraw voting districts based off voting population numbers not total population numbers. This challenge would have created devastating implications for our nation’s most vulnerable communities, especially Latinos, who are already at risk of losing even more representation. All Americans deserve to be represented equally, even if they don’t vote or aren’t eligible to vote.”
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