The White House is not shifting gears for President Joe Biden’s scheduled trip to Georgia despite a number of liberal activist groups telling him not to come without a “concrete action” proposal for protecting voting rights.
Some liberal activists have expressed frustration with Biden for failing to stump enough for the John Lewis Voting Rights Act and the For the People Act, both of which were defeated in the Senate in 2021. The Black Voters Matter Fund, the Asian American Advocacy Fund, the New Georgia Project Action Fund, and the GALEO Impact Action Fund told the White House to cancel Biden’s trip, currently scheduled for Tuesday, unless Biden is prepared to announce finalized legislation that will immediately pass both chambers of Congress.
“Georgia voters made history and made their voices heard, overcoming obstacles, threats, and suppressive laws to deliver the White House and the US Senate. In return, a visit has been forced on them, requiring them to accept political platitudes and repetitious, bland promises,” the groups wrote in a statement. “Such an empty gesture, without concrete action, without signs of real, tangible work, is unacceptable. As civil rights leaders and advocates, we reject any visit by President Biden that does not include an announcement of a finalized voting rights plan that will pass both chambers, not be stopped by the filibuster, and be signed into law; anything less is insufficient and unwelcome.”
White House deputy press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, during a gaggle with reporters traveling with the president Friday afternoon, claimed that Biden “wants” the same things demanded by the activists.
“One of the reasons we’re going to Georgia is, basically, what better place to urge for passage of the John Lewis Voting Voting Rights Act than the home state of John Lewis, a giant in the fight?” Jean-Pierre said. “It was also a pivotal place for the civil rights movement. Also, Georgia is one of the many states where we are seeing attacks on the constitutional right to vote, and the integrity of elections have taken place based on the ‘big lie,’ so Georgia is such a pivotal component and a pivotal part of the president’s message.”
She added that Biden “wants to see concrete solutions” but would not be altering his plans for the speech.
“The president believes that the right to vote is the cornerstone of our democracy, but we have seen state legislators systematically take a wrecking ball to that cornerstone and actively working to strip Americans of their fundamental rights,” Jean-Pierre continued. “He has been clear since day one that protecting the right to vote is a top priority of this administration, and everyone heard him say that there is nothing more urgent than voting rights legislation and ensuring that all Americans have the right to vote and access to the ballot box.”
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You can listen to Jean-Pierre’s entire gaggle below.
