Barack Obama Slams Republicans for Restricting Voting Rights

OBAMA The issue of ░░░░░░░░ rights may not set ░░░░░░░░ alarms for most of ░░░░░░░░ but the violence that ░░░░░░░░ in the U S ░░░░░░░░ on January 6 just ░░░░░░░░ few months ago should ░░░░░░░░ us that we can ░░░░░░░░ take our democracy for ░░░░░░░░ The desire of the ░░░░░░░░ people to be heard ░░░░░░░░ to record turnout in ░░░░░░░░ most recent presidential election ░░░░░░░░ instead of celebrating these ░░░░░░░░ levels of civic engagement ░░░░░░░░ politicians who didn t ░░░░░░░░ the outcome of the ░░░░░░░░ election felt threatened by ░░░░░░░░ surge in citizen participation ░░░░░░░░ now decided to double ░░░░░░░░ They don t want ░░░░░░░░ just make it harder ░░░░░░░░ certain people to vote ░░░░░░░░ now want to change ░░░░░░░░ rules for how ballots ░░░░░░░░ counted and who gets ░░░░░░░░ count them Republicans in ░░░░░░░░ Senate are lining up ░░░░░░░░ try to use the ░░░░░░░░ to stop the For ░░░░░░░░ People Act from even ░░░░░░░░ debated in the aftermath ░░░░░░░░ an insurrection with our ░░░░░░░░ on the line and ░░░░░░░░ of these same Republican ░░░░░░░░ going along with the ░░░░░░░░ that somehow there were ░░░░░░░░ and problems with legitimacy ░░░░░░░░ our most recent election ░░░░░░░░ re suddenly afraid to ░░░░░░░░ talk about these issues ░░░░░░░░ figure out solutions on ░░░░░░░░ floor of the Senate ░░░░░░░░ don t even want ░░░░░░░░ talk about voting and ░░░░░░░░ s not acceptable Senator ░░░░░░░░ has put forward his ░░░░░░░░ A lot of the ░░░░░░░░ in there are ones ░░░░░░░░ the overwhelming majority of ░░░░░░░░ can support and I ░░░░░░░░ it is entirely appropriate ░░░░░░░░ Republicans now to engage ░░░░░░░░ to look over those ░░░░░░░░ and to say hey ░░░░░░░░ want to see this ░░░░░░░░ we are troubled by ░░░░░░░░ here s why let ░░░░░░░░ come up with something ░░░░░░░░ addresses the concerns of ░░░░░░░░ parties and all Americans ░░░░░░░░ if we do that ░░░░░░░░ we can not only ░░░░░░░░ some of the damage ░░░░░░░░ was done on January ░░░░░░░░ but we can secure ░░░░░░░░ democracy and set an ░░░░░░░░ for the world moving ░░░░░░░░ What we can t ░░░░░░░░ is do nothing We ░░░░░░░░ need ordinary citizens to ░░░░░░░░ in and insist that ░░░░░░░░ Senate take action this ░░░░░░░░ It may not end ░░░░░░░░ being exactly the bill ░░░░░░░░ is currently or initially ░░░░░░░░ proposed but we as ░░░░░░░░ people should all say ░░░░░░░░ Congress do something And ░░░░░░░░ defense of all these ░░░░░░░░ these legislatures would allege ░░░░░░░░ they were trying to ░░░░░░░░ voter fraud And they ░░░░░░░░ say sometimes just outright ░░░░░░░░ they would insinuate that ░░░░░░░░ voters especially those in ░░░░░░░░ urban minority communities are ░░░░░░░░ illegitimate despite repeated studies ░░░░░░░░ that serious voter fraud ░░░░░░░░ virtually nonexistent Since I ░░░░░░░░ office I ve tried ░░░░░░░░ make it a policy ░░░░░░░░ to weigh in on ░░░░░░░░ day to day scrum ░░░░░░░░ Washington But I do ░░░░░░░░ folks who may not ░░░░░░░░ paying as close attention ░░░░░░░░ what s happening to ░░░░░░░░ the stakes involved and ░░░░░░░░ this debate is so ░░░░░░░░ important to the future ░░░░░░░░ our country We are ░░░░░░░░ immune from some of ░░░░░░░░ efforts to weaken our ░░░░░░░░ and our own history ░░░░░░░░ remind us that democracy ░░░░░░░░ t a given We ░░░░░░░░ t wait until the ░░░░░░░░ election because if he ░░░░░░░░ the same kinds of ░░░░░░░░ that brought about January ░░░░░░░░ if we have that ░░░░░░░░ a couple of more ░░░░░░░░ cycles we re going ░░░░░░░░ have real problems in ░░░░░░░░ of our democracy long ░░░░░░░░