The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today welcomed Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA) and Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Dick Durbin (D-IL) reintroduction of the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act in both the U.S. Senate and urged Muslim voters to advocate for its passage during the August congressional recess.
CAIR staff and volunteers joined dozens of other groups today at the U.S. Senate press conference standing in support of the act.
Video: CAIR Welcomes Senate Reintroduction of John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act
Already introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives by Congresswoman Terri Sewell (D-AL), the act would restore and modernize critical protections of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 gutted by recent Supreme Court decisions. The bill would reestablish federal preclearance for jurisdictions with documented histories of racial voter suppression, strengthen legal tools to fight discriminatory election laws, and protect election workers from intimidation.
The bill is named in honor of the late Congressman John Lewis, who nearly lost his life fighting for the right to vote during the Selma to Montgomery march.
In a statement, CAIR Government Affairs Department Director Robert S. McCaw said:
“The reintroduction of the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act sends a clear message that Congress cannot remain silent while states continue to pass discriminatory laws that disenfranchise voters of color. This legislation is a top priority for CAIR and CAIR Action in the 119th Congress because it addresses the root of systemic voter suppression. We urge American Muslims to meet with their lawmakers during August recess and demand they support this critical bill and the broader agenda for civil rights and democratic justice.”
TAKE ACTION THIS AUGUST RECESS – BOOK A MEETING WITH YOU MEMBERS OF CONGRESS TODAY!
With the House August recess already underway and the Senate set to adjourn on August 2, CAIR and CAIR Action are urging Muslim voters, activists, and community leaders to schedule in-district meetings with their elected officials to advocate for these priorities. The organizations have released a comprehensive 2025 August Recess Toolkit to support community engagement throughout the recess period.
📘 CLICK HERE: Download the August Recess Toolkit
The toolkit provides step-by-step instructions for meeting with members of Congress and outlines talking points on CAIR’s summer legislative agenda, which centers on protecting civil rights, ending complicity in international atrocities, and ensuring democratic accountability.
In January, CAIR and its 501(c)(4) affiliate CAIR Action included the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act as a key priority in their joint CAIR and CAIR Action 119th Congress Legislative Agenda, alongside calls to:
- Support a Ceasefire in Gaza and Accountability for War Crimes
- End U.S. Military Funding for Israeli War Crimes
- Reverse the Expanded Muslim and African Ban
- Safeguard Freedom of Speech and Nonprofit Advocacy Rights
- Oppose McCarthyist Investigations and Anti-Boycott Legislation
- Advance Immigration and Law Enforcement Reform
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CONTACT: CAIR National Deputy Director Edward Ahmed Mitchell, 404-285-9530, e-Mitchell@cair.com; CAIR Government Affairs Director Robert McCaw, 202-742-6448, rmccaw@cair.com; CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, ihooper@cair.com; CAIR National Communications Manager Ismail Allison, 202-770-6280, iallison@cair.com