Obama calls for eliminating filibuster to expand access to voting


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.
"You want to honor John?" Obama said. "Let's honor him by revitalizing the law that he was willing to die for."
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

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.
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.
"If all this takes eliminating the filibuster, another Jim Crow relic, in order to secure the God given rights of every American, then that's what we should do," Obama said.
During his eulogy, Obama also blasted "our federal government" for "sending agents to use tear-gas and batons against peaceful demonstrators" and slammed "those in power" who are trying to "discourage people from voting" and "even undermining the Postal Service." Brendan Morrow
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
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.
-
Judge bars Trump’s National Guard moves in Oregon
Speed Read In an emergency hearing, a federal judge blocked President Donald Trump from sending National Guard troops into Portland
-
Museum head ousted after Trump sword gift denial
Speed Read Todd Arrington, who led the Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum, denied the Trump administration a sword from the collection as a gift for King Charles
-
Trump declares ‘armed conflict’ with drug cartels
speed read This provides a legal justification for recent lethal military strikes on three alleged drug trafficking boats
-
Supreme Court rules for Fed’s Cook in Trump feud
Speed Read Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook can remain in her role following Trump’s attempts to oust her
-
Judge rules Trump illegally targeted Gaza protesters
Speed Read The Trump administration’s push to arrest and deport international students for supporting Palestine is deemed illegal
-
Trump: US cities should be military ‘training grounds’
Speed Read In a hastily assembled summit, Trump said he wants the military to fight the ‘enemy within’ the US
-
US government shuts down amid health care standoff
Speed Read Democrats said they won’t vote for a deal that doesn’t renew Affordable Care Act health care subsidies
-
YouTube to pay Trump $22M over Jan. 6 expulsion
Speed Read The president accused the company of censorship following the suspension of accounts post-Capitol riot