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Black lawmakers in the U.S. are criticizing recent comments from Republican Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell about the voting rights of people of color in the United States.
“The concern is misplaced because if you look at the statistics, African-American voters are voting in just as high a percentage as Americans,” McConnell said this week, implying that “African-Americans voters” and “Americans” are two different voting groups.
Rep. Donald McEachin (D., Va.) seemingly responded to the comment from McConnell on Twitter with a photo of himself and his wife Colette in front of the American flag with the caption “we are American.”
Rep. Bobby L. Rush (D., Ill.) also tweeted, “African-Americans ARE Americans. #MitchPlease.”
Charles Booker, who is running for the other U.S. Senate in McConnell’s home state of Kentucky, also gave his thoughts on McConnell’s recent comments saying, “I am no less American than Mitch McConnell.”
McConnell responded to the criticism on Thursday by saying, “I have consistently pointed to the record-high turnout for all voters in the 2020 election, including African-Americans.”
The news comes as the Freedom to Vote: John R. Lewis Act was debated in the Senate this week. Some provisions of the bill include making Election Day a national holiday, widening access to early voting and mail-in ballots, and enabling the Justice Department to intervene in states with histories of voting-rights interference.
The bill was not even voted upon in the Senate due to filibuster rules. The current 50-50 split in the Senate, with independents Angus King of Maine and Bernie Sanders of Vermont joining the Democrats with whom they are typically aligned, represents the barest majority for Democrats, as Vice President Kamala Harris can cast a tiebreaking vote, but, Democrats cannot overcome the 60-vote filibuster threshold and bring the legislation to an up-or-down vote.
Voting rights legislation has been a point of concern for Democrats, including President Biden, but no major legislation has been passed during Biden’s term so far.
