Reps. Troy Carter and Jamie Raskin decry recent Supreme Court ruling, push redistricting reforms

Rep. Troy Carter said a recent Supreme Court decision affecting Louisiana’s congressional map was “a devastating blow to our democracy,” and warned it will make legal challenges under Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act more difficult to win. "Yesterday, the Supreme Court issued a devastating blow to our democracy," Carter said, adding that the ruling’s narrowed intent standard hampers efforts to remedy racial discrimination in voting.

Jamie Raskin, the ranking member of the House Judiciary Committee, who introduced Carter, echoed the concern and placed the change in pressure on national politics. "I'll tell you what changed, Donald Trump," Raskin said, arguing the current court majority views partisan effects differently. "The right wing MAGA Supreme Court says, yeah, that's perfectly fine," he added, saying the court treats racial consequences as "collateral damage."

Carter highlighted the local stakes, noting Louisiana’s Black population is roughly 33 percent and that the state has six House seats. "Well, basic math, we have 6 members of Congress. It makes sense that 2 of them would be representative of the demographics," he said, arguing the court’s decision undermines representation for Black voters.

Both lawmakers urged structural reforms as the most viable responses. Raskin called for Congress to pursue nonpartisan redistricting commissions in every state and to consider moving toward multi-member districts with proportional representation. "What I'm pushing, Congress to do is what we pushed for a decade for, which was nonpartisan redistricting commissions in every state in the union, and let's look at moving to multi member districts with proportional representation," he said.

Beyond legislative fixes, Raskin and Carter stressed political organizing. "We need massive landslide turnout," Raskin said, urging activists and voters to mobilize to overcome court decisions that leave legal remedies limited. Carter thanked Raskin for his leadership on these issues; the exchange concluded with mutual encouragement to "hang tough."

The remarks were a discussion between two members of Congress and did not include any formal motions or votes. The lawmakers framed the ruling as both legal and political, and urged legislative change and voter mobilization as the primary responses.