During his recent State of the Union address, President Joe Biden called on Congress to pass two crucial pieces of voting rights legislation - the Freedom to Vote Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Act. The President emphasized the historical significance of this moment by referencing the events that took place nearly 60 years ago in Selma, Alabama.
President Biden highlighted the bravery of the foot soldiers for justice who marched across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma to assert their fundamental right to vote. Despite facing violence and brutality, these individuals stood up for their beliefs and paved the way for progress in the fight for voting rights.
However, President Biden also acknowledged that challenges to voting rights persist in the present day. He identified issues such as voter suppression, election subversion, unlimited dark money, and extreme gerrymandering as threats to the democratic process.
Emphasizing the urgency of the situation, President Biden urged lawmakers to take concrete action by voting on the proposed voting rights bills. He stressed that it is no longer sufficient to simply discuss these issues - meaningful legislative steps must be taken to protect and uphold the right to vote for all Americans.
The President's call to action comes at a critical juncture in American democracy, with voting rights being a central issue of contention and debate. The passage of the Freedom to Vote Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Act would represent significant progress towards safeguarding the integrity of the electoral system and ensuring that every citizen can exercise their right to vote without impediments.
As the debate over voting rights legislation continues to unfold in Congress, the eyes of the nation are on lawmakers to see if they will heed President Biden's call and take decisive action to protect the cornerstone of democracy - the right to vote.
