AFSCME’s Saunders: ‘Our democracy cannot stand unless the right of every citizen to vote is protected.’

WASHINGTON — Following President Joe Biden’s speech on the urgency of passing voting rights legislation, AFSCME President Lee Saunders released the following statement:

“Our democracy cannot stand unless the right of every citizen to vote is protected. It’s as simple as that.

“Since the Voting Rights Act was gutted by the Supreme Court in 2013, we have watched in horror as anti-democratic state legislatures have ramped up their assaults on our right to vote. And this past year they were more successful than ever, passing restrictive voter suppression laws in 19 states. We cannot sit idly by and allow powerful special interests to rob us of our voice and rig our democracy. The legacy of leaders like Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Congressman John Lewis is on the line.

"It's time for the Senate to answer President Biden's call, stop hiding behind arcane rules and finally protect the right of every American to make their voice heard at the ballot box.”