Kwame Thanks Senator Leahy and Colleagues for Leadership on DC Voting Rights

WASHINGTON – Today, At-Large Councilmember Kwame R. Brown thanked the United States Senators who supported the DC Voting Rights Act and voted 62-34 to end debate on the legislation. Before the cloture vote, Councilmember Brown visited the office of Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT) to thank him for his leadership on voting rights.

Senator Leahy is chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, which voted to move the bill out of committee. He is also an original co-sponsor of the voting rights act, which was authored by Senators Joe Lieberman (I-CT) and Orrin Hatch (R-UT). Councilmember Brown was treated to a cup of Vermont’s famous Green Mountain Coffee as he discussed voting rights with the Senator and his staff.

“This is an historic moment and proves that you should never give up,” said Councilmember Brown. “I want to thank the Senators who stood their ground and look forward to a full vote on the legislation in both the House and Senate. We still have hurdles to overcome but with leaders like Senator Leahy and his colleagues, I’m sure we can achieve our dream of representation for the District in Congress.”

The cloture vote was considered a major milestone in the Senate because it takes 60 votes to end debate and move legislation to a full vote on the floor. Cloture votes are a method in the Senate for overcoming a filibuster. The Senate is widely expected to pass the DC Voting Rights Act this week.

For more information or to interview Councilmember Brown, please contact Press Secretary Michael Price at 202-445-4510 or mprice@dccouncil.us.

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