President Barack Obama said Tuesday he is "deeply disappointed" that the Supreme Court invalidated a key section of the Voting Rights Act requiring federal approval to change voting laws in places with a history of discrimination.
"For nearly 50 years, the Voting Rights Act – enacted and repeatedly renewed by wide bipartisan majorities in Congress – has helped secure the right to vote for millions of Americans," he said a statement. "Today’s decision invalidating one of its core provisions upsets decades of well-established practices that help make sure voting is fair, especially in places where voting discrimination has been historically prevalent. As a nation, we’ve made a great deal of progress towards guaranteeing every American the right to vote. But, as the Supreme Court recognized, voting discrimination still exists.
Obama urged Congress to pass legislation to guarantee voting.
"Today’s decision is a setback, it doesn’t represent the end of our efforts to end voting discrimination," he said. "I am calling on Congress to pass legislation to ensure every American has equal access to the polls. My administration will continue to do everything in its power to ensure a fair and equal voting process."