Biden Sides With Texas Democrats On Voting Restrictions
Lone Star Dems bolt state House, denying Republicans win
President Biden came down on the side of Texas Democrats who abandoned their seats in the state House of Representatives, so as to deny the chamber its necessary quorum and therefore kill a GOP-led voting restriction bill from advancing towards law.
The sudden revolt torpedoed the sweeping measure known as Senate Bill 7, which would have reduced polling hours, empowered poll watchers and scaled back ways to vote in Texas, which already has some of the nation's strictest voting laws.
The Lone Star bill is just the latest in a line of state legislation sponsored by Republicans aimed at rolling back access to the polls, particularly for Black and other people who typically vote for Democrats. The bills have been sparked by former president Donald Trump's “Big Lie,” in which he baselessly claims that the 2020 election was stolen from him based on widespread Democratic fraud.
Texas Republican Gov. Greg Abbott, who had declared new voting laws in Texas a priority, quickly announced that he would order lawmakers back to the state Capitol for a special session. He did not, however, say when that would happen.
Biden, who has strongly denounced efforts to restrict any voting rights, sided with Texas Democrats.
“Today, Texas legislators put forth a bill that joins Georgia and Florida in advancing a state law that attacks the sacred right to vote. It’s part of an assault on democracy that we’ve seen far too often this year—and often disproportionately targeting Black and Brown Americans,” Biden said over the weekend. “It’s wrong and un-American. In the 21st century, we should be making it easier, not harder, for every eligible voter to vote.”
Biden once again called on Congress for federal action to guarantee voting rights.
“I call again on Congress to pass the For the People Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act. And I continue to call on all Americans, of every party and persuasion, to stand up for our democracy and protect the right to vote and the integrity of our elections,” he said.