A high-profile speech by U.S. President Joe Biden on voting rights has received a lackluster reception from civil rights groups — a troubling sign from a crucial constituency less than 10 months out from midterm elections.
The NAACP, one of the largest civil rights groups in the United States, and the family of the late Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. called on the White House to go beyond speeches and act with the same urgency it has on its economic agenda to prod the deadlocked U.S. Senate to pass voting-rights legislation.
"Our democracy stands in its final hour,” NAACP President Derrick Johnson said in a statement. "While President Biden delivered a stirring speech today, it’s time for this administration to match their words with actions, and for Congress to do their job. Voting rights should not simply be a priority — it must be the priority.”