Tuesday, April 29, 2008

Blunt praises U. S. Supreme Court decision


Seventh District Congressman Roy Blunt praised the U. S. Supreme Court decision, announced Monday, that upholds Indiana's strict Voter ID law. Blunt issued the following news release:

"By a convincing majority of six-to-three, the Supreme Court today affirmed a principle the American people have overwhelmingly supported for some time: asking citizens to produce a simple form of identification before voting is neither unreasonable nor unconstitutional - and if it helps impede voter fraud, absolutely necessary to ensure the basic integrity of the democratic process.


"Only in a place like Washington, D.C. does it make sense that a valid photo ID should be required to board an airplane, enter a federal building, or swipe a debit card - but not to discharge one of our most sacred duties as citizens and most precious rights as Americans. That's why I was glad to submit a 'friend of the Court' brief back when the case was first being considered, and why I'm happy today that the Court has heard those arguments in rendering this important and common sense decision."


The release contained the following note:


In an amicus brief sent this past December, Blunt joined Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.), U.S. Sens. Kit Bond (R-Mo.) and Bob Bennett (R-Utah), as well as Reps. Lamar Smith (R-Texas) and Vernon Ehlers (R-Mich.), in asking the Court to rule in a manner to ensure our "elections are fair and honest and that all eligible citizens have an opportunity to cast a ballot that is fairly and accurately counted." The opinion in the case, Crawford et al. vs. the Marion County (Ind.) Election
Board, was announced this morning (http://www.supremecourtus.gov/opinions/07pdf/07-21.pdf).

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