Biden: We Will Do ‘Everything in Our Power’ to Ensure Fair Voting
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YASUYOSHI CHIBA/AFP/Getty Images(WASHINGTON) — Vice President Joe Biden said Tuesday he is “disappointed” with the Supreme Court’s ruling on the Voting Rights Act and vowed to work with Congress to address the Court’s concerns and ensure fair voting.
“Today’s decision upset a well-established practice,” Biden said. “The Voting Rights Act has been repeatedly enacted by overwhelming bipartisan majorities in the Congress.”
“Voting is a fundamental right, it’s the foundation of our democracy. The Voting Rights Act has been critical and an effective means to guarantee that core right,” he added.
The Supreme Court struck down a key provision of the Voting Rights Act Tuesday, ruling that the formula used to enforce the nearly 50-year-old civil rights law needs to be updated.
In a 5-4 decision the court said that the coverage formula used by the government to determine which states are required to get federal permission before they make any changes to voting laws is unconstitutional. The ruling effectively puts the issue back in the hands of lawmakers to revise the law. And until then, the ruling effectively renders section five of the Voting Rights Act inoperable.
Speaking at the top of a White House event marking the 75th anniversary of the Fair Labor Standards Act, Biden reiterated that not all of the Voting Rights Act was struck down.
“It says the Congress can pass new legislation,” he said of the ruling. “They struck down a section that talked about new regulations ensuring that every American has equal access to the polls. We’re going to work with Congress on this effort, and the administration is going to do everything in our power to ensure fair and equal voting processes are maintained.”
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