Senate lawmakers voted 50-50 on whether to start debate on the legislation known as the "For the People Act," leaving Democrats short of the 60 votes needed to overcome a GOP filibuster. The vote is regarded as a significant setback for a piece of legislation that Biden and other leading Democrats have advocated for months in response to the passage of election security overhauls in GOP-led states.
"Today, Democrats in Congress unanimously came together to protect the sacred right to vote. In supporting the For the People Act and defending the rights of voters, they stood united for democracy," Biden said. "They stood against the ongoing assault of voter suppression that represents a Jim Crow era in the 21st Century.
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"Unfortunately, a Democratic stand to protect our democracy met a solid Republican wall of opposition. Senate Republicans opposed even a debate—even considering—legislation to protect the right to vote and our democracy. It was the suppression of a bill to end voter suppression—another attack on voting rights that is sadly not unprecedented," he added.
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Biden then spoke of the pillar of the Civil Rights Movement. "The creed “We Shall Overcome” is a longtime mainstay of the Civil Rights Movement. By coming together, Democrats took the next step forward in this continuous struggle—not just on Capitol Hill, but across the country—and a step forward to honor all those who came before us, people of all races and ages, who sacrificed and died to protect this sacred right."
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Republican lawmakers say the legislation would allow the federal government to infringe on the rights of individual states to direct their own election rules. The GOP has also claimed the bill is meant to unfairly benefit Democrats.
If passed, the Biden-backed bill would make big changes to U.S. elections. The legislation would put nonpartisan commissions in charge of gerrymandering rather than party-controlled state legislatures, open early and absentee voting, and improve the campaign finance system, among other reforms.
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Biden and other Democrats have claimed a federal election structure is required after Georgia and other states moved to harden election laws following a controversial 2020 election cycle rife with disproven claims of fraud.
In March, Biden referred to Georgia’s election security bill as a case of "Jim Crow in the 21st Century."
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The president said in the statement Tuesday he would have "more to say" on the fight over the "For The People Act" next week.
"But let me be clear. This fight is far from over—far from over. I’ve been engaged in this work my whole career, and we are going to be ramping up our efforts to overcome again—for the people, for our very democracy," he added.
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