Political Quotes

“I want to thank the illustrious chairwoman of the Congressional Black Caucus, Joyce Beatty, for her leadership. I want to thank Richie Torres for leading us in this Special Order hour. Nothing could be more profound in this hour than to be talking about voting rights. As we speak, our Nation is facing the most concerted effort to restrict the right to vote in a generation. Just this year, 400 bills have been introduced in State legislatures across this Nation to restrict the right to vote. In 19 States, at least 33 of these bills have become law, including the most egregious of State legislatures, Georgia, where now it is a crime to give a bottle of water to a voter as they stand in line. Even as our democracy comes under attack, we see Republicans standing firm in their opposition to protecting the right to vote, a bedrock principle that should never be partisan. Just last week, we watched as every Senate Republican voted to block debate on the Freedom to Vote Act, a commonsense bill that would ensure that every American has access to the ballot box. What are they afraid of, I ask? What are they afraid of? Last week's vote made clear that Senate Republicans are unwilling to even debate voting rights, let alone hold a fair vote. This just further demonstrates that in order to protect our democracy and the sacred right to vote; we must reform the filibuster to create a path forward for must-pass pieces of legislation.…”