Biden urges Dems: Stand up for voting rights (Transcript/Video)

Hi folks, this is Joe Biden. 

I got to tell you, if someone said to ten years ago, that I have to make a pitch for protecting voting rights today, I would have said, you got to be kidding. 

You know Dr. King said it best from his Selma jail cell when he got arrested leading a march for trying to pass Voting Rights Act of 1965. He said, “Voting is the foundation stone for political action.” It was such a hard fight in 65, but President Johnson got the Voting Rights Act passed. And as time went on, the wisdom of Dr. King and the necessity of protecting the Voting Rights Act became widely accepted in both political parties. As a young Senator in 1975, one of my first important votes was to reauthorize the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Then in 1982 when it came up to reauthorize again even Strong Thurman of South Carolina vote for it. And that same year, President Regan called it “a Crown Jewel of American Liberty” and he pledged no barrier become between our citizen and the Voting Rights Act. And as recently as 2006, the Voting Rights Act reauthorize 98 to 0 in the Senate and 390 to 33 in the House of Representatives. I thought at that that time, the only debate we had was how to continue to expand the voting franchise.  

But last year when the Supreme Court cut the heard out of Voting Rights Act, it opened up the floodgates to voter suppression. Voter suppression happens nationwide. This year alone there are a almost 50 voting right bills under consideration nationwide. At least 11 states have introduced legislation to require voters to show photo ID at the poles or making existing photo ID laws more restrictive. Laws like the ones in North Carolina which imposed new photo ID requirements, shorten early voting, and eliminating same day registration for early voters. And in Texas voter ID would let you show your permit for a concealed handgun license but not your student ID card. 

Laws like the ones in Ohio or Wisconsin would shorten early voting period, limited the time the polls open, cut evening hours and limited weekend early voting. That means voter can’t vote after church. It means hard working Americans have to take time of work to be able to vote.

 We have to stand up! It’s time to stand up and to fight back. That’s why the Democratic Committee’s new voter expansion project is training staff and volunteers to protect the right to voter all across this nation. 

And it’s simple, we need your help. Stand up for it. 

So please go to Democrats.org/expand-the-vote. 

Add your name to the long list of Americans who are standing up and refusing to allow this most basic civil right to be wimped away for any eligible. And it’s happening now all across the nation. Folks this is a fight we have to make again, but it’s a fight we can win again, and we need your help. 

I’m proud to be in this fight with you.

 Thank you for what you are about to do and May God protect our troops.