President Joe Biden announced that Vice President Kamala Harris would lead the administration’s efforts to protect voting rights.
Biden made the announcement during his speech memorializing the 1921 Tulsa, Oklahoma, Race Massacre. “With her leadership and your support, we’re going to overcome again,” he said.
Former President Donald Trump’s post-election shenanigans set about a series of Republic-led attacks on voting rights. Just last week, Texas Democrats walked off the state House floor late Sunday night in a scrappy bid to block the passage of one of the most restrictive voting bills in the country.
“Texas legislators put forth a bill that joins Georgia and Florida in advancing a state law that attacks the sacred right to vote,” Biden said at the time. “It’s part of an assault on democracy that we’ve seen far too often this year —and often disproportionately targeting Black and brown Americans.”
“We used all the tools in our toolbox to fight this bill, and tonight we pulled out that last one,” said Rep. Nicole Collier, chair of the Texas Legislative Black Caucus. “We are no longer going to stand and let them continue to push measures that disenfranchise our voters.”
In March, Georgia Republicans passed a sweeping law to restrict voting access in the state. The bill includes stringent voter identification requirements for absentee balloting, limits drop boxes and expands the Legislature’s power over elections.
Harris she will work across the board to ensure that Americans are not prevented from voting.
“In the days and weeks ahead, I will engage the American people, and I will work with voting rights organizations, community organizations, and the private sector to help strengthen and uplift efforts on voting rights nationwide. And we will also work with members of Congress to help advance these bills,” she said. “Our Administration will not stand by when confronted with any effort that keeps Americans from voting.”
