Lawmakers condemn Mitch McConnell after he says Black people vote as much as 'Americans'

published 21 January 2022

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) was excoriated by several lawmakers for remarks he made about Black voters.

On Wednesday night, Senate Republicans blocked voting rights legislation that Democrats say is necessary to counter voting restrictions being enacted in several GOP-led states, including Texas and Florida. Studies have shown that strict voter ID laws disproportionately impact Black and Latino voters, and voters of color regularly have to wait longer in line to vote.

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The condemnation came quickly. "African Americans ARE Americans," Rep. Bobby Rush (D-Ill.) tweeted, adding the hashtag #MitchPlease. Charles Booker, a Democrat aiming to unseat Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), said he is "no less American than Mitch McConnell." In a follow-up tweet, Booker stated: "I need you to understand that this is who Mitch McConnell is. Being Black doesn't make you less of an American, no matter what this craven man thinks."

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Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.

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