LEGISLATURE THERE SUCCESSFULLY
BEAT BACK WHAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN
THE MOST SEVERE VOTING
RESTRICTIONS PROPOSED BY
REPUBLICANS ANYWHERE IN THE
COUNTRY THIS YEAR, SO FAR.
THE DEMOCRATS IN TEXAS STAGED A
DRAMATIC WALKOUT AT THE 11th
HOUR.
IT WAS A TACTICAL SURPRISE TO
THE REPUBLICANS.
AND IT ENDED UP TORPEDOING THE
ANTI-VOTING RIGHTS BILL, THE
REPUBLICAN WERE, OTHERWISE, ON
TRACK TO PASS.
WITH THEIR WALKOUT, SIX WEEKS
AGO, THE DEMOCRATS FORCED THE
TEXAS LEGISLATURE TO ADJOURN ITS
2021 SESSION, WITHOUT HAVING
PASSED THAT ANTI-VOTING RIGHTS
BILL.
WELL, STARTING TODAY, TEXASS
REPUBLICAN GOVERNOR, GREG
ABBOTT, HAS CALLED THE
LEGISLATURE BACK FOR A SPECIAL
SESSION.
A SO-CALLED EXTRAORDINARY
SESSION.
SO, REPUBLICANS, AMONG OTHER
THINGS, CAN TAKE A SECOND SHOT
AT GETTING THOSE VOTING
RESTRICTIONS IN PLACE BEFORE THE
NEXT ELECTION.
AND SO, WITH THE NEW, SPECIAL
SESSION, TODAY STARTS ROUND TWO.
DEMOCRATIC LAWMAKERS CAME BACK
TO THE STATE CAPITOL IN TEXAS,
AGAIN, TODAY.
READY TO FIGHT, AGAIN.
AGAINST THAT SAME LEGISLATION.
>> WHEN I LOOKED AT THE
PROCLAMATION, IT SAID THAT HE
WAS CALLING THIS FOR
EXTRAORDINARY REASONS.
THATS WHAT -- THATS THE
LANGUAGE OF THE PROCLAMATION.
IN THE LAST TEN YEARS, THE
GROWTH IN THIS STATE HAS BEEN
BECAUSE OF BLACK, BROWN, AND
ASIAN FOLK.
THAT IS WHO IS GROWING, IN THIS
STATE.
TEXAS HAS MORE AFRICAN-AMERICANS
THAN ANY, OTHER STATE IN THIS
COUNTRY.
SO, ALL OF A SUDDEN, ITS A --
AN EXTRAORDINARY ISSUE THAT WE,
NOW, NEED TO CHANGE THE RULES TO
VOTING.
>> WERE HERE TO SAY, NOT ON OUR
WATCH.
WE WILL NOT ALLOW YOU TO
RE-ENVISION JIM CROW 2.0.
NO, ITS NOT A POLL TAX OR A
LITERACY TEST.
ITS NOT HOW MANY BUBBLES IN A
BAR OF SOAP.
BUT IT IS VOTER SUPPRESSION.
YOU CANT TELL ME THAT THERE IS
A REASON WHY WERE ELIMINATING
24-HOUR VOTING.
WHY WERE ELIMINATING MOBILE
VOTING.
TO TRY TO GET A VOTING RIGHTS
RESTRICTION BILL THROUGH BY HOOK
OR BY CROOK.
SO THE -- THE FIGHT IS JOINED,
ONCE AGAIN, IN TEXAS, TODAY.
WE WILL SEE WHAT TEXAS DEMOCRATS
CAN DO TO TRY TO STOP THIS.
BUT ITS, OF COURSE, NOT JUST
HAPPENING IN TEXAS.
TODAY, VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA
HARRIS, APPEARED AT HOWARD
UNIVERSITY.
SHE ANNOUNCED A $25 MILLION
EXPANSION OF AN INITIATIVE IN
THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY TO PROMOTE
VOTER EDUCATION, VOTER
PROTECTION, VOTER REGISTRATION,
ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
ALL, TO TRY TO BLUNT THE EFFECTS
OF SOME OF THESE NEW
VOTER-SUPPRESSION LAWS THAT
REPUBLICANS ARE PASSING ALL
ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
>> YOUR VOTE IS YOUR POWER.
AND SO, I SAY, DONT LET ANYBODY
EVER TAKE YOUR POWER FROM YOU.
DONT LET ANYBODY TAKE YOUR
POWER FROM YOU.
ESPECIALLY, THE POWER OF YOUR
VOICE.
WE WILL NOT LET ANYONE TAKE AWAY
OUR POWER, AND THATS WHY WE
ARE, ALL, HERE TOGETHER TODAY.
WERE NOT GONNA LET THAT HAPPEN.
[ APPLAUSE ]
AND SO, WE NEED TO FIGHT BACK.
>> WE NEED TO FIGHT BACK.
LATER IN THE DAY, TODAY, VICE
PRESIDENT HARRIS AND PRESIDENT
BIDEN HELD A CLOSE-DOOR WORKING
MEETING AT THE WHITE HOUSE WITH
A NUMBER OF CIVIL RIGHTS LEADERS
AND VOTING RIGHTS ADVOCATES
ABOUT WHAT, EXACTLY, THAT FIGHT
BACK LOOKS LIKE.
HOW TO GET THROUGH THIS IMPASSE?
HOW TO COME UP WITH SOME WAY TO
FIGHT THIS BATTLE.
EVEN AS REPUBLICANS, IN STATE
AFTER STATE, PASS NEW VOTING
RESTRICTIONS.
FEDERAL LEGISLATION THAT WOULD
BACKSTOP VOTING RIGHTS, THAT
WOULD PROTECT VOTERS ACROSS THE
COUNTRY, REMAINS APPARENTLY
INEXORABLY STALLED IN THE UNITED
STATES SENATE.
I WILL TELL YOU, THAT THOSE
LEADERS AND ACTIVISTS WHO MET
WITH THE PRESIDENT AND VICE
PRESIDENT AT THE WHITE HOUSE
TODAY.
THEY CAME OUT OF THAT MEETING
SOUNDING READY TO FIGHT.
SAYING THAT THEY THINK PRESIDENT
BIDEN AGREES WITH THEM.
THAT VOTING RIGHTS IS AN
EMERGENCY THAT NEEDS IMMEDIATE
ACTION.
WHAT DOES THAT MEAN, THOUGH, IN
TERMS OF WHAT CAN BE DONE?