REMINDER: Leader Schumer: “If we wait until much past August then these horrible changes that these Republican legislatures are putting into effect may not be undone in time...so we have to get it done by then"
Washington, DC – Today, Fix Our Senate released the following statement in response to President Biden’s comments on voting rights and the filibuster at last night’s CNN town hall.
“It was great to hear President Biden affirm that the filibuster is being abused and that he believes protecting voting rights is more important than the Senate rule he once again called a Jim Crow relic,” said Eli Zupnick, spokesman for Fix Our Senate. “But at this late stage as time is running out to enact reforms in time to protect voters in the upcoming election, it was extremely alarming to hear President Biden say he still thinks he can bring Republicans on board when Sen. McConnell and his caucus have made it clear that’s simply never going to happen. President Biden may be focused on his bipartisan infrastructure deal, but people across the country are also expecting him to deliver on his promise to protect our democracy from what he called ‘Jim Crow on steroids.’”
President Biden said he understands what is at stake: “This is Jim Crow on steroids, what we're talking about.”
President Biden affirmed that the filibuster is being abused: “I've been saying for a long, long time, the abuse of the filibuster is pretty overwhelming”
President Biden said he ultimately prioritizes democracy over the filibuster: Question: “...so why is protecting the filibuster, is that more important than protecting voting rights, especially for people who fought and died for that?” BIDEN: “No. It's not.”
President Biden expressed openness to reform: “I'd tell you what I'd do. I would go back to that, where you have to maintain the floor.”