Good afternoon,

We mark Black History Month this year and every year by celebrating the struggles we have overcome in the long and hard fight for equality and civil rights for all Americans. Last year, I am proud to say that a decades-long fight finally reached fruition to award Albany native and WWI hero, Henry Johnson, the Medal of Honor. The tireless efforts of local leaders like Dr. Maurice Thornton, former Congressman Mike McNulty, and countless others were rewarded on June 2nd, 2015 at a White House ceremony, posthumously decorating the memory of one of the best and bravest the Capital Region has had to offer our great nation.

I use Black History Month as a marker to reflect on and re-energize myself against the challenges that lie ahead. This year will mark the three-year anniversary of the damaging Supreme Court decision that rolled back key provisions of the decades-old Voting Rights Act. Several states have pounced on this decision, making it harder to vote.

This is America. It shouldn't be harder to vote -- it should be easier to vote.

The opportunity to make one's voice heard at the ballot box is our most fundamental right as citizens of the greatest country on earth, and Congress must act to update the Voting Rights Act and restore the vote for men and women of every color, gender, and socioeconomic background in every corner of our nation.

As Dr. King said, "Change does not roll in on the wheels of inevitability, but comes through continuous struggle. And so we must straighten our backs and work for our freedom."

Here, today, in 2016, our backs must be straight and our voices strong. Because we have more work to do. This is about more than one month, it is about a constant struggle to achieve equality and justice for all our citizens. And I want to be right here next year, reporting the gains we've made to restore the vote.

Thanks, as always, for reading,