Pick two of the strongest most powerful women in America, and at the top of that list are Stacey Abrams and former First Lady Michelle Obama. But when you put these two together, magic happens. Abrams is a former candidate for Georgia governor and established of Fair Fight Action. Obama founded When We All Vote. When they come together to oppose Republican-controlled legislatures’ anti-voting bills throughout the nation. they are “models for power” for all Americans, according to The New York Times.
Voting rights activists point to the need for federal action to overcome these deadly state GOP laws with their crooked intents. Activists indicate that the new Republican laws unfairly impact young people, minorities, people with disabilities, and lower-income individuals. They have been urging the U.S. Senate to stay in Washington to act on this vital issue before they take their August recess.
Last year Obama and Abrahms worked to turn out voters for the 2020 elections. But this is their first public joint venture. They wanted to raise public awareness around voter rights and created a short video for Americans, asking them to, as The Washington Post reported:
- Call and lobby their members of Congress to implement federal voting laws
- Check their own voter registration status and
- Make sure others in their communities are signed up correctly to vote.
The two-minute video will start on Thursday via digital platforms around the country. In it Obama said:
‘Right now, dangerous legislation is being proposed across the country that limits the freedom to vote, cast our ballots and have our votes counted. Many of these proposals would disproportionately impact Black, Brown, young, and working-class voters, and voters with disabilities.’
The Brennan Center for Justice tracks bills to restrict voting. By July, 18 states across the country had passed 30 laws. Each of them will make it harder for people to vote. A new Georgia bill allows Republicans to overturn the state’s voters’ outcome if they claim, not prove, voter impropriety.
The two women want those who see the video to call Congress:
‘[E]very day to tell them to protect and strengthen our access to the ballot.’
Separately, Abrams’s Fair Fight Action has been promoted Hot Call Summer beginning two months ago. Thus far, it has generated over 50,000 calls to Congress. Then, her organization Fair Fight Action along with CAP Action was able to support 40 voters from across the nation going to Washington for the express purpose of lobbying members of Congress.
Obama’s When We All Vote is working with Fair Fight Action, Declaration for American Democracy, and Vote.org and released a letter. Over 90 corporations are contacting Congress, urging them to move on federal voting rights legislation.
Thus far, a 50-50 Senate has not moved these bills forward. The voters’ rights organizations want the federal government to
- [S]standardize some laws and procedures regarding voting access
- Make changes to campaign finance and ethics rules.
Friday is the 56th anniversary of the day President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Voting Rights Act into law. But the Supreme Court extracted portions of the bill, weakening it. The voting rights activists demand that the Senate pass the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, which returns voters protections, overruling the Supreme Court, which is heavily weighted to the far right.
The Senate needs a minimum of 60 votes to avoid a filibuster. That or the democratically-led Congress could alter or remove the filibuster entirely. Senator Joe Manchin III (D-WV) and Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ) have thus far turned down any of those efforts. If they do move against the antiquated filibuster, all they would need is a simple majority with Vice President Harris casting the tiebreaking vote.
Obama says this in their video about the fight for voting rights:
‘[It is] not going to be easy, but nothing this important ever is.’
Then, they both brought her message home:
‘Are you in?’
Featured image is a screenshot via YouTube.
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