Obama: Voting rights bill must pass before next election
By Rafael Bernal - 06/21/21 04:02 PM EDT
Former President Obama said Monday that Congress needs to pass voting rights legislation before the 2022 midterm elections, or American democracy could be at risk.
"We can't wait until the next election because if we have the same kinds of shenanigans that brought about Jan. 6, if we have that for a couple more election cycles, we're going to have real problems in terms of our democracy long-term," said Obama.
Speaking on a call with grassroots supporters alongside former Attorney General Eric Holder, Obama said debate over the voting rights bill, known as the For the People Act, was worth it for him to engage in political debate, even as a former president.
"Since I left office I've tried to make a policy not to weigh in on the day-to-day scrum in Washington," said Obama.
"But what's happening this week is more than just a partisan bill coming up or not coming up to a vote," he added.
The Democratic voting rights proposal passed the House in March and is due this week to come under consideration by the Senate.
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https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/559462-obama-voting-rights-bill-must-pass-before-next-election