John,

President Biden and Vice President Harris spoke today on the state of voting rights in America — here are the key takeaways:

• President Biden and Vice President Harris spoke in Georgia in the district of the late Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.), a major proponent of voting rights during his lifetime and leader in the civil rights movement. In his speech, President Biden endorsed changing Senate rules to pass voting rights protections.


• Vice President Harris condemned the anti-voter laws of the last few years and urged Americans to not be complicit. “Do not succumb to those who would dismiss this assault on voting rights as an unfounded threat,” she said, urging the Senate to take action. “Years from now, our children and grandchildren will ask us about this moment…They will ask us, ‘what did we do?’ We cannot tell them that we let a Senate rule stand in the way of our most fundamental freedom.”


• President Biden condemned the unwillingness of Republicans to protect the right to vote, noting that Republicans oppose even debating the issue. Given that Republican legislatures can pass laws restricting the right to vote by a majority vote, he argued that there was no reason the Senate can’t protect the right to vote by a majority vote. “To protect our democracy, I support changing the Senate rules whichever way they need to be changed to prevent a minority of senators from blocking action on voting rights.”


• Biden vowed, “I will not yield. I will not flinch. I will defend your right to vote and our democracy against all enemies foreign and domestic. And so the question is where will the institution of the United States Senate stand.”


• In a tweet Monday, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) announced that the Senate will move forward to protect voting rights later this week. As he outlined in an earlier letter to colleagues, this will likely entail considering changes to the Senate filibuster rule, with a deadline of Jan. 17, Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

Marc's Latest: "Naming the Insurrection"

• Last week, President Biden spoke in the U.S. Capitol and condemned the armed insurrection that took place there one year ago. In his piece today, Marc reflects on the importance of calling Jan. 6 what it was — an insurrection — and the need to hold those responsible accountable. Read Marc’s latest piece, “Naming the Insurrection,” on Democracy Docket now.

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Thanks for staying in the fight,
Team Democracy Docket