Biden prioritizes U.S. voting rights law as restrictions mount

Biden, marking the centennial in Oklahoma on Tuesday, called out lawmakers in Congress -- including two senators in his own party -- for holding up action on voting bills. Invoking the words of the late Rep. John Lewis, Biden said the right to vote is "precious" and must be protected. He vowed that June will be a "month of action" on Capitol Hill as Congress considers the legislation, among the top priorities of his administration.

Most recently, the Texas legislature moved closer to passing a bill that would reduce early voting hours, tighten voter identification requirements for absentee ballots and eliminate ballot drop boxes and drive-thru voting centers. The bill was blocked only when Texas Democrats walked off the House floor on Sunday night, but Republican Gov. Greg Abbott has said he'll order a special session to ultimately ensure its passage.

"We can't just choose what we want to know, and not what we should know," Biden said. "I come here to help fill the silence, because in silence wounds deepen." Responding to critics who question why he hasn't been able to get a wide-reaching voting rights bill passed, Biden lamented, "Well, because Biden only has a majority of effectively four votes in the House, and a tie in the Senate -- with two members of the Senate who voted more with my Republican friends."

It's unclear whether Biden's comments will change the views of any senators, who are facing tough choices ahead as pressure mounts on them. Biden has tasked Vice President Kamala Harris with leading the administration's efforts to defend voting rights, declaring that with her leadership, Americans will again "overcome" efforts to reduce access to voting, as they have in the past and did during the 2020 election, which saw record turnout despite new voting restrictions.

Even Canada requires voter ID

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