Obama calls for eliminating filibuster to expand access to voting

(Image credit: Alyssa Pointer-Pool/Getty Images)

published 30 July 2020

Former President Barack Obama is getting behind the end of the filibuster.

Obama delved into politics during his eulogy for the late Rep. John Lewis on Thursday, calling on lawmakers to expand voting rights as a way of honoring the civil rights icon.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Obama specifically called for ensuring "every American is automatically registered to vote, including former inmates," adding polling places, expanding early voting, making Election Day a national holiday, ending partisan gerrymandering, and guaranteeing "equal representation in our government" to citizens of Washington, D.C. and Puerto Rico. And he backed the idea of eliminating the Senate filibuster if it's necessary to accomplish these goals.

Explore More

Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.

Subscribe to The Week

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox