Biden pushes for US voting rights law as restrictions mount

By ALEXANDRA JAFFE and LISA MASCAROJune 2, 2021

1 of 6President Joe Biden speaks as he commemorates the 100th anniversary of the Tulsa race massacre, at the Greenwood Cultural Center, Tuesday, June 1, 2021, in Tulsa, Okla. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden used the 100th anniversary of Tulsa’s race massacreto make a plea for sweeping legislation in Congress to protect the right to vote as Republican-led governments in Texas and other states pass new restrictions making it tougher to cast ballots.

Biden, marking the centennial in Oklahoma on Tuesday, called out lawmakers in Congress — including two senators in his own party — for holding up action on voting bills. Invoking the words of the late Rep. John Lewis, Biden said the right to vote is “precious” and must be protected. He pledged that June will be a “month of action” on Capitol Hill as Congress considers the legislation, which is among the top priorities of his administration.

“We’re not giving up,” Biden said. “I’m going to fight like heck with every tool at my disposal for its passage.”

Republican state legislators are pushing what experts say is an unprecedented number of bills aimed at restricting access to the ballot box. While Republicans say the goal is to prevent voter fraud, Democrats contend that the measures are aimed at undermining minority voting rights.ADVERTISEMENT

Most recently, the Texas Legislature moved closer to passing a bill that would reduce early voting hours, tighten voter identification requirements for absentee ballots and eliminate ballot drop boxes and drive-thru voting centers. The bill was blocked only when Texas Democrats walked off the House floor on Sunday night; Republican Gov. Greg Abbott has said he will order a special session to ultimately ensure its passage.

Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell played down the ability of the new state laws to quash voter turnout. 

“I don’t think any of these efforts at the state level are designed to suppress the vote based upon race,” McConnell said at a news conference Wednesday in Kentucky. 

McConnell promised to block the federal voting rights bill, characterizing it as undue government overreach into state election systems. He said no GOP senators support it.

Biden addressed the federal voting rights legislation during an event marking the 100th anniversary of the Tulsa race massacre, in which a white mob looted and burned Tulsa’s Greenwood district, which was known as Black Wall Street. CONTINUE TO READ AT WWW.APNEW.COM