Political Quotes

“Mr. President, Senator Durbin, the chairman of the Civil Rights Subcommittee of the Judiciary Committee, will convene a hearing of the subcommittee in Tampa tomorrow afternoon at 1 o'clock for the purpose of reviewing Florida's new election law that was passed a year ago by the Florida Legislature. It is what has been characterized by this Senator and others as a voter suppression law. Interestingly, there is a pattern in about 14 States that has changed the election laws to make it harder to vote, harder to register to vote, and harder to have one's vote counted as they intend. It is rather extraordinary that in this year of 2012 we would be concerned about the right of access to the ballot and the right to vote, which is a cherished constitutional right and one which is under assault in this country at this moment, especially in my State of Florida. Let me give my colleagues some particulars. The new election law, for example, has changed the voting registration requirements for those who sign up to register others--in other words, third parties--such as the League of Women Voters. The League of Women Voters had been registering voters in Florida under the old law that was on the books for decades. That law gave them, once they registered the voter--took the information--10 days to turn it in to the county supervisor of elections. That law had been on the books for decades.…”