Political Quotes

“Mr. President, this afternoon, we held a hearing in the Constitutional Subcommittee on the Senate Judiciary Committee on new voting laws that are being passed in many States. It was one of the first hearings on Capitol Hill on the subject, and I thank you very much for attending as a member of the subcommittee. We had an array of witnesses, starting with Members of the Senate and Members of the House of Representatives, expressing various points of view on this issue. What we discussed was the new laws in States that are establishing new standards for voting in America. It is essential for us on this subcommittee, with our jurisdiction and responsibility, to focus on this issue of voting rights. As has been said so many times, there is no more important right in America. The right to vote is a right people have given their lives for. As we look at the checkered history of the United States, we find that though we honor the right to vote, from the very beginning, we have compromised that principle. We started off with requirements of property ownership. We didn't allow women to vote for so long. African Americans were not given that opportunity for decades. Over the years, we have had as many as 10 different constitutional amendments focusing on extending the right to vote. When we get to the heart of a democracy, it is about voting. That is why these new State laws are so important and so important for us to reflect on.…”