Thousands expected in Washington, D.C., to march for voting rights
By Natalia Abrahams 2 hrs ago
Thousands are expected to flock to Washington, D.C., on Saturday to mobilize for voting rights as Congress and several states consider laws that could change access to the ballot.
Organizers for March On for Voting Rights said the event is a way to demand “that elected officials protect democracy, denounce voter suppression and ensure fair, easy access to the vote for all through the passage of comprehensive federal legislation,” according to their website.
Aug. 28 also marks the 58th anniversary of the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. On that day in 1963, more than 200,000 people marched in Washington, D.C., and witnessed Martin Luther King Jr. deliver his "I Have a Dream" speech in front of the Lincoln Memorial. That event is widely credited with helping pass the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
On Tuesday, House Democrats marked the anniversary by passing the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act with 219 votes supporting the bill, and 212 votes, all cast by Republicans, against. This legislation is part of a larger Democratic effort to strengthen voting rights across the country.
The For the People Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act were introduced in Congress in 2019 and 2021, respectively. Since their introductions, both pieces of legislation have been voted on along party lines. The For the People Act awaits deliberation in the Senate with Republicans threatening to use the filibuster should it pass.
“One of the fears I have is that the idea of democracy itself is becoming a partisan idea,” said Andrea Hailey, CEO of Vote.org, a group that works to ensure enfranchisement and one of Saturday’s organizing groups. She added that if the John Lewis Act does not pass the Senate, it would be "a great blow to our democracy."
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Posted By: Dea. Ron Gray Sr.
Saturday, August 28th 2021 at 7:37AM
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