National Urban League Applauds Biden-Harris Administration for Commitment to Voting Rights
Washington, D.C. (January 11, 2022) – Today, National Urban League President and CEO Marc H. Morial issued the following statement in response to President Biden and Vice President Harris’ speeches in Atlanta regarding voting rights:
“Today, President Biden and Vice President Harris came to Georgia — ground zero in the fight for voting rights — to deliver one of the most important speeches of their tenure. They reminded the American people that protecting the right to vote for all citizens is the chief priority of their administration and our democracy.
“So far, Republican legislators in 19 states have passed 34 bills that restrict access to voting for young, Black, Hispanic, Asian, disabled, and elderly Americans. These cynical bills are aimed at making it more difficult to vote - deleting voter registrations, restricting access to the ballot box, and limiting access to vote by mail. These bills are rooted in partisanship and racism, and we cannot sit idly and watch as local, state, and frankly, U.S. Senators strip us of our most sacred right. All Senators of all parties have a duty to vote for legislation that will protect the right to vote for all Americans. They must pass the John Lewis Voting Rights Act and Freedom to Vote Act. And as the President said, if it takes amending the Senate rules to limit the weaponization of filibuster to do it, so be it.
“We applaud the Biden-Harris administration for today’s speech. But now we all have a responsibility to keep up the pressure on all Senators to preserve and protect the right to vote by immediately passing voting rights legislation.”