Washington, D.C. – Today, President Joe Biden denounced the rash of state laws aimed at restricting voting rights and called for Congress to take immediate action against this effort to undermine the fundamental right to vote by passing the transformative For the People Act and John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act. In response, Danielle Root, director of voting rights and access to justice at the Center for American Progress, issued the following statement:
President Biden’s remarks today bring much-needed attention to a nationwide crisis: In nearly every state, voting rights are under attack. The anti-voter laws being passed in states around the country have one shameful goal in mind: to suppress and subvert the voices of countless Americans, particularly Black, Indigenous, and people of color, as well as disabled Americans and people belonging to other historically underrepresented groups. These anti-voting efforts are reprehensible, undemocratic and have no place in America. Absent immediate action by the federal government, millions of Americans could be blocked from the ballot box.
The president should treat this crisis with the urgency it deserves and follow through on his demand that Congress immediately pass legislation to prevent these voter suppression tactics. President Biden must do everything he can to protect the sacred right to vote. That means using the full power of the White House to rally Americans behind this critical fight and make this effort a national priority. The Biden administration must do whatever is necessary to get voting rights legislation across the finish line.
For more information or to speak with an expert, please contact Sam Hananel at [email protected] or 202-478-6327.