**For Immediate Release**

Kyla Gill, Kyla.Gill@mail.house.gov 

Vaibhav Vijay, Vaibhav.Vijay@mail.house.gov 

Congresswoman Summer Lee Receives “A” on Defend The Vote Scorecard

Defend The Vote Action Fund Scores Congresswoman Lee with top grade for fighting to protect Americans’ rights and freedoms and for defending democracy 

Pittsburgh, PA – August 8th, 2024 – In recognition of the 59th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, Defend The Vote Action Fund, one of the nation’s leading pro-democracy organizations, today released its 2024 Legislative Scorecard for the 118th Congress. 

The Scorecard tracks the support of Members of Congress for bills that ensure our democracy works for everyone as well as whether they oppose destructive legislation that attacks the core rights and freedoms of American citizens.  

“Fifty-nine years after the Voting Rights Act was signed into law, our nation is once again at an inflection point. The attacks on our freedoms and democracy continue to intensify,” DTV Action Fund Executive Director Brian Lemek said. “We need Members of Congress who will side with the Constitution and the rule of law, fight to ensure that everyone has an opportunity to vote in safe, accessible elections, and work to give the people a voice in the system, not just wealthy and corporate interests. Our scorecard found that Congresswoman Lee is committed to protecting the rights and freedoms of people in Pennsylvania and all Americans, and she has earned the top grade possible.” 

Congresswoman Lee said, “The best way to defeat the extremism threatening our democracy is to empower the people. We do that by protecting the freedom to vote for all Americans and by getting dark money out of politics so that it doesn’t drown out the voices of everyone else. Our democracy is strongest when every voice is heard and every vote is counted. We cannot allow special interests and extremist agendas to undermine the foundation of our nation. I am honored to be recognized by Defend The Vote Action Fund, and I will continue to fight tirelessly for the rights and freedoms of all citizens.”

Click here to see Congresswoman Lee’s grade and the full list of bills scored. 

Defend The Vote Action Fund advocates for legislation to defend and strengthen our democracy and to hold members accountable to their commitment to voting rights. 

On August 6, 1965, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Voting Rights Act into law. It was one of the most successful civil rights laws in our nation’s history, blocking thousands of discriminatory voting laws before they could take effect. In 2013, the extreme conservative majority of the Supreme Court began gutting the law, starting with the Shelby v Holder decision. The John Lewis Voting Rights Act and Freedom to Vote Act together would restore the VRA’s power, while setting national standards to protect ballot access, end gerrymandering, and protect poll workers and voters from harassment as well as ban Dark Money. 

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Since taking office in January 2023, Lee, who serves on the House Oversight Committee and Space, Science and Technology Committee, has delivered historic levels of federal investment totaling over $1.85 Billion brought back to Western PA, including over $580 million for infrastructure, over $110 million for affordable transit, over $500 million to keep clean energy manufacturing at home in Pennsylvania, and over $55 million on clean energy efforts in and around schools to help keep our kids and communities safe. These investments will help improve Western Pennsylvania’s infrastructure and transit, ensure cleaner air and drinking water, lower housing costs, fund research institutions, fuel clean manufacturing, fund STEM innovation and entrepreneurship, boost workforce development, and create thousands of good paying union jobs.  Lee and her team have also delivered casework and constituent services to over 2,300 constituents with issues ranging from helping our seniors and disabled community access Medicare and social security to helping folks secure housing and helping families with immigration support and passports.