I am just hopeful with Ted's leadership, I am confident that as we came together with the passage of the Music Modernization Act in 2018 and did it in a bipartisan way, Democrats, Republicans, the left, the right, Progressives…

Three years ago, we passed the ground-breaking piece of bipartisan legislation, The First Step Act of 2018.

The Biden Administration has also made important improvements to the implementation of The First Step Act in the past year.

It's impossible to think of the Voting Rights Act without thinking of our dear colleague, John Lewis, who we all miss greatly.

the need for an independent immigration court system could not have been clearer under the Trump Administration.

the immigration court system is highly susceptible to political interference.

As President Biden pointed out in his recent speech in Atlanta, the Senate voted 98 to nothing to reauthorize the Voting Rights Act in 2006.

Today's hearing on voter suppression and continuing threats to democracy comes at a critical point in our history.

Legislation to protect the fundamental right to vote in fair elections free from racial discrimination faces united obstructions from Republicans in the Senate.

Ironically, they are so intent on blocking legislation to strengthen our democracy that they will not even permit the vote--the most basic democratic act, the majority vote.

Sadly, that seems like ancient history now.

According to the Brennan Center for Justice, between January 1, 2021, and December 7, 2021, more than 440 bills with provisions that restrict voting access have been introduced in 49 States.