On the recordSeptember 15, 2021
I am proud to stand on the Senate floor today with my colleagues Senator Klobuchar and Senator Merkley in support of the new Freedom to Vote Act that we just introduced. I want to talk about why it is so important, so urgent that Congress act right now to protect the sacred right to vote that is under assault across our Nation, but first I want to thank my friends who worked with me to get us to this point: Senator Klobuchar, who has worked on this issue for so long; Senator Merkley also; Senator Manchin; and Senators Schumer, Padilla, Kaine, King, and Tester. Our work is a testament to Democrats' commitment to protecting access to the ballot box for every eligible voter. I think it is important to remind us that we were blocked from debating this issue in June. It bears repeating so that the American people understand that that is what got stopped in June--not the actual bill but the ability to debate the bill on the Senate floor. But I am proud that our group was able to come together. We decided that we were not about to let this fight to protect voting rights die in this Congress. Passing voting rights is the most important thing we can do in this Congress because if we are going to lengthen and strengthen the cords of our democracy, that won't just happen. We will have to work for it. We will have to fight for it. We will have to stand up for it. And that is what we intend to do.…
