Adriano Espaillat: “As we come off the historic Martin Luther King, Jr., holiday, it is incumbent upon all of us not just to reflect on his…”

“As we come off the historic Martin Luther King, Jr., holiday, it is incumbent upon all of us not just to reflect on his legacy but to really honor it. Honoring his legacy means really using our political strength, much of which was given to us by him and his struggle, to deliver the very voting rights protections he and countless other civil rights leaders, including our very own John Lewis, bled to secure. We simply cannot accept empty promises anymore, Madam Speaker, in pursuit of his dream for a more equal and just America, not from Senators who have the power to live fully in those ideals today and not from Members of this very Chamber. How can anyone, Madam Speaker, especially any Member of the Senate, celebrate this day of service, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, without standing for democracy and the rights of others? How can they, in good faith, deliver empty words or celebrate his legacy in the shadow of this current attack on access to the ballot box when they themselves have the power to stop it? But let me step back just a minute and put this in perspective, Madam Speaker. Just last year, Republicans introduced 440 voter suppression bills in 49 States. Nineteen States have already passed voting restrictions in 2021, with even more coming this year.…”