captioning performed by vitac that means the first election she voted for was president kennedy. so miss applewhite won't be able to vote because she doesn't have id, she doesn't have a birth certificate. she was born at a time when many people were not born in hospitals. we know many of our elderly

folks will be facing these kind of hurdles because there are those who want to make it harder to vote. they say it's because they want to prevent fraud. but they're not preventing fraud, they're preventing voting. you did not need a photo id to get on a plane and getting on a plane is not a right. so don't buy into this. what is great about our country is the ability to participate in our elections. it is the one day where we have equalized everything.

equity across the board. we all get to have the same say when we go in to cast the ballot. there are those who say they don't want it to be equal so they're going to pass these laws to make it harder. now, let me just say on the voter front, i have an article we put in "the washington post" called "five myths around voter fraud." you need to read it and share it with your congregations because people need to know it's rhetoric. you're more likely to be struck by lightning than to find a case of voting fraud. i've been doing litigation since 2000 with barbara when we brought suit in the state of florida. in 2000 catherine harris said she was going to cast a wide net in order to do purges. so they didn't do the purges too

well because a lot of people showed up to the polls and their names were on the rolls. well, in 2004 they tried to do it again. they came up with what was a bad felon list. they did this matching so if your name had an e on the end of it but the name of the person was convicted didn't have an e on it, too bad. you were caught up in the system. 2004 we were able to stop the states to say drop that list, don't use it and they didn't. oh, but here we go again, deja vu in florida. florida is always notorious, congresswoman. i know you know. and so here we go again, 180,000 people on a list who are alleged

noncitizens. over 400 people have already come forward to say here is my proof of citizenship. 50% of that list is latino voters. so they've gone over black voters and now they're going after latino voters. understand what they are doing is sending you a letter and telling you you come prove to us that you are a citizen. you've been voting for 30 years, we don't care, come prove it to us because they know there are a lot of people who get frustrated by this and say i'm not going to vote, if you want to put barriers in the way, i'm not going to vote. they're counting on that. so what we've got to do is we've got to tell people it doesn't matter how high the barrier. this is too important. this is a right that we will not turn over back on. and so in florida we know that we have got to continue this fight. but i want to tell but another thing that going on. this group called true the vote

that you need to know about, go to truethevote.org. they said they are going to train 1 million people to be poll watch theers this year. they've been having conferences across the country. they started and sent poll workers out in 2010, did a little poll workers out and did a pilot project and isn't the tea party people out to look over the shoulders of the people that voted. that was pilot. now they're taking it nationwide. and soap they will be coming to a polling place near you and you need to be prepared for this because the idea is they are going to challenge the eligibility of voters. this is about intimidation. this is about trying to make sure not only are we going to change the rules and make it harder but when we get there, we're going to scare you.

so we've got to be ready for folks to tell them that we will not be scared. so ft. lauderdale paper today has a story about the 91-year-old veteran who was on that personal list there florida. a veteran. okay? has served his country and is on this list illegally on this list. but don't worry, we're going to take care of florida and this list. don't you worry. so true the vote, what you need to know is that they are going to be prepared and we need to be prepared. we will have election protection folks monitoring the polling places but for those who can for your congregations, get people to sign up as judges, election judges and poll workers. because we need to be on the inside. we need to have an eye out for what is happening on the inside.

so the other thing i just want to tell you about is that we will be doing advancement project and the brennan center are going to be doing some se s communications work. i want you to write down this e-mail address because i want you to sign up to get our communications materials. it's ap@advancementproject.org. now, if you send an e-mail to us -- ap@advancementproject.org. so what we are undertaking is that we're going to be doing some polling and understanding how voters think about voting. but then what we also want to do is make sure that people are equipped with messages, what you need to say. so on fraud, they're not preventing what? fraud? they're preventing -- >> voting. >> that's the message of the day for y'all.

y'all take that with you. that was a freebie. we're going to be taking e-mails in and we will put you on a list of people who will get regular communications about the things that you need to be telling folks about voting. so there's going to come a period where you're going to need to tell people, for example, to check your registration status. up know, we saw some numbers, about 40% of black folks in this country have moved between 2008 and 2012. 40%. so many of them are going to need to reregister. we're going to give you over the time from now until the election the information that you need to get voters ready for election day. we're also going to give you those little messages that you need to debunk the myths, to make sure folks get invigorated so they understand. but let me say this in closing -- i'm closing. see i took less time than her

because she can't say anything. >> i don't think you did. >> well, anyway -- >> we go way back in case you didn't -- >> so it doesn't end in november. if you thought that we had a bad time in 2011 and 2012 with these laws, you ain't seen nothing yet because in 2016, think about it. there will be no incumbent and so it's wide open territory. and so that means that there will be those who really got to get the game straight. you know, you don't steal elections by going in as mickey mouse and impersonating judith brown diana. that's not how voter fraud happens. the real voter fraud is changing the rules of the game so that we can't vote. the real voter fraud is the misinformation that they put in

our communities before an election so that we won't vote. and so we have got to be prepared. so if you sign up on that e-mail list, we're going to keep you engaged because don't leave it alone in november because in january legislatures come back and they're going to be like a rabid dog, and so we have to be prepared. what i want us also to be prepared for is our members of congress, the thing that we're going to come back for is so pro active legislation. we have got to have some change. and we're not only coming back for pro active legislation, but i'm going to tell you the little visionary thing that we really need and congressman jesse jackson, jr., you know, has been pushing for this for years but will tell you that we to v expolice it write to vote in the

constitution. without it we see thee as tax, we seed no standard on thousand they vote. there are 13,000 election jurisdictions at that run elections 13,000 different ways? because we have no standard. so at the end of the day we are going to have to fight for this right no vote, take it up a notch and be explicit about making sure that the right to vote is enshrined in our constitution. thank you. [ applause ] >> all right. good afternoon, everyone. i want to first start off by always giving honor to god for this opportunity to be here to speak to you. you have heard from some powerful women already today. and so i just wanted to thank

the congressional black caucus. i remember so well when congresswoman fudge led the hope fight, make sure that people realized what was going on with voter suppression, congressman cleaver, so many people who have been out on front on these issues. i'd love to say that, you know, when they started this whole effort of voter suppression, remember it did not just start in 2010, it started in 2000, with that election. then they ratcheted it up another notch in 2004, triesded us back when they did all of this that one of the motivating factors was that if you look at your congress, if you look at a lot of your statements, you will realize that most of those races were won by less than 2,000 votes. in 2010 when those races were

held, 25 million people who had voted in 2008 sat down and did not vote. and they said, okay, as judy says, we're going to make sure that you never vote now. so part of this is about how you really have and maintain and dominate power illegally and artificially. so hour duty is to remember that the bible tells us that for the lack of knowledge the people perish. you see we have to ask the black church as black organizations, as organizations committed to democracy, as organizations that believe in this new america that's going to be multi-racial, that ought to be gender equal that, ought to be about giving everybody their rights that, if we believe in this america, this

vision, that it's upon us -- us to open up the doors, to guarantee the pathways are there. so what we have to do is understand that there's something for every church, every single church that's here today, there is a role for you to play. don't let anybody tell you otherwise. because when they came up with all this evil -- because it's nefarious, it's invidious, it's just downright evil. and when they came up with this, they counted on everything, they counted on our people being indifferent, they counted on people not knowing. they counted on folks being so into themselves that they would not even pay attention, watching basketball wise and everything else but they did not think. they counted on these groups.

they said, oh, they'll be too underresourced. they won't have the funding. they will be so stretched so thin on everything else they're trying to do and also their egos will be too big for them to even pull together. you see, they counted on everything but there's one thing they didn't count on, one thing they didn't count on. they didn't count on u.s. he's not going to let this happen. he's not going to let us sit back. he's going to shake us awake. what our duty is today is to understand what we have to do. we got to take this up a serious notch. we got to deal within our community a resistance movement. we got to have our folks today understood what's going on.

when i say our no matter what their race. so what we want to do is a couple things i want you to think about. first of all, your first level of defense. i want you to take down this number. marcia mentioned it and i want to really make sure it becomes part of your mantra, your heart, everything you say push 1-866-our vote, 1-866-687- -- when people come to you and say you can't vote, that's the line you call. when people come to you and say they just told me that i'm not

registered. that's the line you call. i want you to understand that's the hotline, that's your life line. that's the first thing i want you to understand. once again, once again let's bring it home. 1-866-our vote, 18 of 6-887-8683. it's going to be answered live beginning monday, june 4th until november 7th. and every day monday through friday, every business hour, during business hours, that line is going to be open. and when it's not being answered live, we will return calls that people leave us. and let me tell you that already we've been filing lawsuits and giving other organizations

lawsuits because people have been calling the hotline and saying my rights have been violated. second thing i want to you do. judy's already said it, just take it home again. we need you to ask your congregations, your congress congregates to become poll watchers. you have to say it to them. people have that ability and we need them this year, we need them to do that. the third thing, register people to vote. religionster people to vot-- re people to vote. churches can do that. this easter -- last easter weekend black churches got together and registered 120,000 people. we can do this. there's nothing that stops us from registering people to vote. once again, become part of that.

the second thing, we've been talking about this whole vip process, that you need to make sure that your congregants understand they have to verify their registration, know what their identification requirements are and get that identification and they got to make sure they go to the correct precinct to vote because most of you may not know if you so up at the wrong precinct, you may vote but they're not going to count it if you don't come back to prove it. so it's critical, my brothers and sisters, it critical that we make sure we provide that information. so i want to ask right now how many of your churches has a voter registration program? excellent. i want to see every hand raised next time. how many of your churches have a get id program going on? let's get them. let's make sure.

in this packet, there's this get id program, it tells you how to create them. this packet is right here in the front row in front of the congress people. please, please, please get that packet and make sure that you use these resources. in closing, in closing, in closing because you don't ever really close, do you? because the work -- the work -- the work still is here upon us. we have a duty -- jesus said if you love me, if you love me, feed my sheep. if you love me feed my sheep. let's feed the sheep. let's do the work. let's show them who we really are and let's be grounded and centered in our god. thank you! [ applause ]

>> come on, let's show some love to this panel. we've had some wonderful chunks of meat. this has been a very substantive gathering this afternoon. we have good -- this is what we wanted to accomplish, solid methodology, solid procedures whereby we can actually make a difference. we are not here for decoration. we are here to make a difference. and these panelists have tremendous -- we owe a lot to the congressional black caucus for facilitating this for us. let's show our congressmen and congress women how much we appreciate them. that's right.

>> i said earlier this is an historical event in the national congressional caucus has come together but it is really a mirror of what happens in each of the congressional districts all year long. it is a partnership between our congress people and our churches that deliver services on behalf of our people and we want to thank god for this opportunity to be here today. >> now a discussion about voter id laws in some states that require voters present official government documentation before casting a ballot. and also will talk about rallying more young people to vote. this portion is about an hour and 40 minutes. >> thank you all so much for being here for our last official session of the day.

i want to thank the chairman and the president of cnbc for allowing the cbc once again to participate. i want to thank my chairman, emanuel cleaver who i always told people could tear it up. he tore it up so i want to thank my chairman again. to the members of the cbc here, my colleagues, we have just been joined by congresswoman sheila jackson lee from texas. give sheila a hand. and we're going to begin this panel even though congressman maxine waters is not here yet and she should be here shortly. we're expecting her to join us and you met our doctor and vice president of the cbc earlier donna christianson from the virgin islands. thank you all. it is my great pleasure to serve as moderator for today's final discussion. i am representative marcia fudge from ohio representing the 11th congressional district. thank you. i am honored to be here with you

for many reasons. i serve as a cbc's for the people voting rights initiative co-chair with my friend and colleague representative john lewis. let's just take a walk down memory lane. the date was march 7, 1965. the place was selma, alabama. young people led the way. their goal was to achieve the uninhibited right to vote. hundreds of brave men, women and children marched, black and white, hand-in-hand. i can hear it now. many of them were probably singing, singing some of those old freedom songs like oh freedom, we shall not be moved, or we shall overcome. and then all at once the marchers were attacked by police with billy clubs and tear gas. that day will forever be known as bloody sunday, a day when hundreds of americans bled on

selma, alabama's pettis bridge bleeding for the struggle to secure our right to vote, our right to have unrestricted and unhampered access to the polls. the marchers were beat and knocked down, but they didn't stay down. they got up. one week later they marched again, and a few days after that they marched once more. now clergy and young people led the massive crowd. this time thousands marched along the voting rights trail from selma to montgomery. because of bloody sunday and the thousands of americans who were beaten and killed over the years so that i can vote, so that we can all vote, i am standing here today and i refuse to let their efforts be in vain. the suppressive tactics being used today are not new. what we called a poll tax is now

a new voter photo i.d. law. instead of physical threats unnecessary and confusing laws are being used to restrict turnout and hamper the effect of early and absentee voting. it was the church and young people who led the way in '65 and we need the pulpit of the church and the energy of young people to lead the way today. this panel is going to talk to you about how we make that happen. this is in fact a call to action, so you're not going to hear any real speeches. we're going to open this up as i introduce the panel and we're going to ask them some questions. then when i finish my few questions, i am going to let you ask them some questions. as i said, we're going to be joined by my colleague representative maxine waters and until she gets here i will move on and start out by introducing reverend tony lee. reverend tony lee is the founder and senior pastor of the community of hope african methodist episcopal church. he formerly served as senior minister to young adults in fort washington, maryland.

he oversaw the development of a wide range of youth ministries that engaged young people in a style of praise and worship that embraced their unique styles and interests. he received national media attention on bet's cousin jeff's chronicles on cnn and c-span. reverend lee serves on the leadership team of saving ourselves, sos, an organization working in the gulf coast on behalf of those victimized and impacted by the social economic and physical devastation of hurricane katrina. next we have adwoa ansah. >> did i get it right? >> close. >> all right. the president and ceo of faith links, inc. she served as manager of federal affairs for the new england council, the nation's oldest

regional business organization where she advocated for the interest of over 350 businesses across a six-state new england region in washington, d.c. where she worked. her areas of responsibility were health care, and she also was the special assistant to our very own vice chair of the democratic caucus, john larson of connecticut. she earned a bachelor's degree in political science from southern connecticut state university and a masters degree in religious studies with a concentration in religion, ethics and public policy from howard university school of divinity. she is also an instructor at the calvary bible institute where she teaches a course on faith and politics. next we have cindy smalls. cindy smalls is the national voter protection manager for the aflcio working in the political department overseeing the 2012 my vote, my right to voter protection campaign. prior to coming to the aflcio cindy worked for seiu from 2007 to 2012 and in various capacities as the mid-atlantic area political director, senior

legislative advocate and coordinating manager overseeing seiu's retiree problem and as a field director for the south carolina democratic party and provided technical assistance to candidates for city council, mayor and school board and has a ba from the university of south carolina. marcus mason is a partner at the madison group. he is responsible for managing the firm's transportation, energy, tax and homeland security portfolio. in addition, he focuses on crisis management, complex integrated campaigns and coalition building. he has more than 15 years of political and policy experience. prior to joining tmg he served as amtrak's senior director of government affairs. marcus is a member of the board of directors of the black caucus foundation and on the political ti