US President calls Texas' new voting law 'assault on democracy'
Sep 07, 2021
Washington [US] September 8 : US President Joe Biden on Tuesday called the Republican-backed new voting law passed in Texas an 'assault' on the US democracy.
Biden's remarks came after Texas Governor Greg Abbott signed the 'election integrity bill' into law that Democrats view as an effort to restrict voting rights, CNN reported.
"We're facing an all-out assault on our democracy. We need to pass the For the People Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act to protect the sacred right to vote. I urge Congress to send them to my desk immediately," Biden said in his tweet.
Meanwhile, US Vice President Kamala Harris has also slammed the new Texas law and called it 'restrictive' for the Texans.
"The new voting law in Texas signed by Gov. Abbott is one of the most restrictive in the nation. The bill limits the options that enabled a historic number of Texans, especially citizens of color, to vote safely in our last election," Harris said in a tweet.
Meanwhile, the bill passed by the Republican legislation bans 24-hour and drive-thru voting, imposes new hurdles on mail-in ballots and empowers partisan poll watchers, CNN reported.
"It does make it easier and than ever before for anybody to go cast a ballot. It does also, however, make sure it is harder than ever for people to cheat at the ballot box," Abbott said during the event at which he signed the bill into law.
The bill also blocks counties from sending unsolicited mail-in voting applications -- even to those who are over age 65 and therefore qualify automatically to vote by mail, CNN reported.
