WHAT THEY ARE SAYING: President Biden Delivers Remarks on Protecting the Sacred Right to Vote

Today, speaking from the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia, President Biden spoke about our duty to protect the sacred, constitutional right to vote -- the foundation of democracy.

As many Americans, especially people of color, face significant and increasing obstacles to the right to vote – based on the Big Lie -- the President emphasized the urgency with which lawmakers need to act to meet the greatest threat to voting rights and the integrity of our elections since the Civil War.

He renewed his calls for vital legislation to overcame the rash of anti-voter laws, including the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act and the For the People Act – which Democrats have unanimously voted to advance while Republicans obstruct its path.

The President's remarks were met with praise from elected officials, activists, voting advocates, and community leaders across the country, who join in his commitment to protect and defend free and fair elections that reflect the will of the American people.

See below for what they are saying:

State and local leaders

Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf: "I am proud to join President Biden in Philadelphia, the birthplace of our nation, to stand up for the freedom to vote and the sacred right to have your voice heard in our elections. Not only will I stand against any efforts to roll back our freedoms, I will continue to push for changes to take down the barriers to voting that still exist. This is a critical moment for our democracy.? Some bad actors in the state legislature and across the country are spewing lies and debunked conspiracy theories to make people question the results of the November election. These are the same lies they used to try to throw out every vote cast in the November 2020 election and ultimately caused the January 6 insurrection which shocked our nation with images of horrendous violence and destruction as a mob invaded the U.S. Capitol. Now these bad actors are pushing Arizona- style sham election reviews that are a chaotic and embarrassing mess that divide people and waste taxpayer dollars. They're the same fringe politicians who want to pass laws to take away the freedom to vote for their own political gain. It is shameful and un-American. Pennsylvanians believe in freedom and fairness, and I share President Biden's commitment to protecting our elections and the sacred right to vote. That is why I recently vetoed a bill that was disguised as election reform but was really about creating barriers to voting. All of us must stand united to defend the core values of our country and protect our democracy. Future generations are depending on us to rise to the moment." [7/13/21]

U.S. Rep.? Madeleine Dean (D-PA): "We will not give in. We will overcome." Very fitting to welcome @POTUS back to Philadelphia — the birthplace of our nation — as we recommit to the fight for voting rights." [Tweet, 7/13/21]

Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney: "Proud to join @POTUS today to support his commitment to protecting our sacred right to vote. Thank you, Mr. President." [Tweet, 7/13/21]

Philadelphia City Councilmember Isaiah Thomas: "So glad to see @POTUS in Philadelphia, working to protect the vote. We shouldn't have to protect the fundamentals of our democracy - we should make it easier for more people to vote." [Tweet, 7/13/21]

Pennsylvania House Democratic Leader Rep. Joanna McClinton: "THANK YOU @POTUS for leading our fight to #DefendOurDemocracy , fight back against voter suppression & ensure ALL voices are heard #voting #ActNow" [Tweet, 7/13/21]

U.S. Rep. Andy Levin (D-MI): "Voting is one of our greatest hard-won rights. I echo @POTUS' call to pass the #ForthePeopleAct in the Senate and defend democracy today. It's time to restore power to the American people and end voter suppression." [Tweet, 7/13/21]

U.S. Rep. Bill Pascrell (D-NJ): "The foundation of democracy is that the loser accepts the results. Republicans no longer accept the legitimacy of elections they lose. This is the threat of our time and our President nails it." [Tweet, 7/13/21]

U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell (D-AL): "Some things in America should be simple and straightforward. The most important of those things, the most fundamental of those things, is the right to vote. The right to vote freely." Thank you, @POTUS . Together, we must pass the John Lewis Voting Rights Act & #RestoreTheVRA." [Tweet, 7/13/21]

U.S. Rep. Frederica Wilson (D-FL): ".@POTUS in voting rights remarks in Philadelphia: "The 21st century Jim Crow assault is real. It's unrelenting. We're going to challenge it relentlessly." Yes, we will!" [Tweet, 7/13/21]

U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR): "We need to call out attempts to stifle our freedom to vote for what they are: election subversion aimed at blocking targeted groups of Americans from voting. I'm with @POTUS on this and I will continue to fight to protect ALL Americans' freedom to vote." [Tweet, 7/13/21]

Nellie Gorbea, Rhode Island Secretary of State: "Thank you @POTUS for speaking out against efforts to deny access to voting. We must stand against these efforts to undermine our democracy." [Tweet, 7/13/21]

National Hispanic Caucus of State Legislators: "We join President @JoeBiden in Philadelphia, with amazing Hispanic, Black and other civil rights leaders and organizers, in his call to pass H.R. 1 and the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, both of which contain important voting rights protections we've fought for." [Tweet, 7/13/21]

Arizona Democratic Party: "Arizona has been ground zero for the undemocratic movement to deny our right to vote. Thank you @POTUS for prioritizing the freedom to vote for all Americans. Denying the right to vote is undemocratic, un-American, and unpatriotic." [Tweet, 7/13/21]

North Carolina Democratic Party: "The right to vote is the foundation of democracy. And free and fair elections that reflect the will of the American people must be protected and defended." [Tweet, 7/13/21]

Democratic Party of Illinois: "As @POTUS said today, we must act to protect #VotingRights, and the For the People Act is the first step." [Tweet, 7/13/21]

Advocacy Organizations

Students Learn Students Vote Coalition: "Today #SLSVCoalition director @uclarissa was invited to attend @POTUS's historic address on the need to protect American democracy and the right to vote. We applaud @POTUS and @WhiteHouse for their forceful defense of fundamental democratic rights, and look forward to continuing the work of building coalitions to protect and expand the #StudentVote and voting rights for all Americans. "We have to forge a coalition of Americans of every background and political party. The advocates, the students, the faith leaders, the labor leaders, the business executives, and raise the urgency of this moment."? -@POTUS" [Tweet, 7/13/21]

Margaret Huang, President and CEO of the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) and SPLC Action Fund: "President Biden accurately characterized the anti-democracy actions by state legislators and others following January 6: 'There's an unfolding assault taking place in America today, an attempt to suppress and subvert the right to vote in fair and free elections...So make no mistake: Bullies and merchants of fear, peddlers of lies, are threatening the very foundation of our country.' President Biden's speech today ultimately was a needed call to action for this multiracial coalition of democracy defenders in this country to 'rise to the urgency of this moment' as John Lewis, Amelia Boyton, and other leaders did during the civil rights movement. We must all gather the power we have to protect and exercise our right to vote and ensure it is available to and used by our families, neighbors, and communities to build a democracy that truly works for everyone." [Statement, 7/13/21]

Janet Murguía, President, UnidosUS: "I commend @POTUS for asserting the importance of voting rights, especially as we're seeing numerous states enact voting rules that are restrictive and discriminatory for Black and Brown communities. We have to protect our #righttovote!" [Tweet, 7/13/21]

Matthew Dowd, Country Over Party: "As I have said for two months over and over, we are at the most perilous one to in our democracy since the civil war I was so glad to see President Biden reiterate this point is his wonderful speech today." [Tweet, 7/13/21]

Bridge Project: "Freedom is not a state, it's an act. And we must act and we will act."
@POTUS is fighting for our democracy at every turn. We ???????????????? have his back in this fight." [Tweet, 7/13/21]

Commentators

Yamiche Alcindor, PBSNewsHour: "That was one of Pres Biden's most passionate speeches of his presidency, possibly of his entire career.

He is saying very clearly that this is a crisis as important as what led to the Civil War.

He said: "Peddlers of lies are threatening the very foundation of our country." [Tweet, 7/13/21]

Kevin Liptak, Paul LeBlanc and Kate Sullivan, CNN: "It was one of the fieriest speeches of Biden's presidency to date, reflecting the fury he and fellow Democrats have cultivated as Republicans follow Trump's lead in denying the election results." [Article, 7/13/21]

Ari Berman, Deadline on MSNBC: "Well, I thought the rhetoric of the speech was very, very strong. It was the strongest rhetoric that joe biden has used to date to describe the gop's war on voting."

Jon Sopel, BBC: "Important and impassioned speech from @POTUS on voting rights (and some Dems would say long overdue). Warns there is most sustained assault on right to vote since the civil war." [Tweet, 7/13/21]

Sophia A. Nelson, Journalist: "What a powerfully passionate speech about our American Democracy by @potus and the peril that #Republicans have put the Vote franchise in for the first time ever since the Radical Republicans of the 1860s passed the 13th, 14th & 15th Amendments. #ForthePeopleAct" [Tweet, 7/13/21]

Eli Yokley, Morning Consult: "That was a very fired up Joe Biden speaking on democracy and voting rights today." [Tweet, 7/13/21]

Antjuan Seawright: "A fired up @POTUS leaving the stage to @johnlegend! #VotingRights" [Tweet, 7/13/21]

Max Steele, Senior Communications Advisor, American Bridge: "Man. @POTUS just crushed it." [Tweet, 7/13/21]

Thom Brooks, President, Legal Scholars: "Keep up great work, Mr President
@POTUS!" [Tweet, 7/13/21]

Andrew Adonis, Chair, European Movement: Fantastic Biden speech just now about 'the most serious threat to democracy since the civil war' - 'democracy is not a state, it is an act." [Tweet, 7/13/21]

Jon Sopel, BBC: "Important and impassioned speech from @POTUS on voting rights (and some Dems would say long overdue). Warns there is most sustained assault on right to vote since the civil war." [Tweet, 7/13/21]

Sophia A. Nelson, Journalist: "What a powerfully passionate speech about our American Democracy by @potus and the peril that #Republicans have put the Vote franchise in for the first time ever since the Radical Republicans of the 1860s passed the 13th, 14th & 15th Amendments. #ForthePeopleAct" [Tweet, 7/13/21]

Tara Setmayer, Lincoln Project: "Powerful speech today by @POTUS on the significance of fighting to protect our democracy & voting rights." [Tweet, 7/13/21]

Ted Johnson, Deadline: "The president, in flashes of passion, cast the Republican efforts as a "21st Century Jim Crow" that was "real and unrelenting." [Article, 7/13/21]