The White House is defending President Joe Biden from criticism that he has not been vocal enough about voter access, saying members of his own party are targeting “the wrong opponent.”
“Those words are a fight against the wrong opponent,” White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Tuesday.
BIDEN LIKELY TO FALL SHORT OF ‘TOUGH’ JULY 4 VACCINE GOAL
Psaki cited steps Biden had taken in the past to promote voter access, including securing a 25-year extension of the Voting Rights Act as a senator. As president, he has also slammed Republican-controlled legislatures in public addresses and private conversations for passing what they describe as election security and integrity bills, she said.
She referenced, too, Biden’s executive action and the Justice Department dedicating more money and resources to enforce voting laws.
“We share the desire to fight against efforts by Republicans to suppress the vote around the country,” she said.
“That’s hardly sitting on the back bench,” she added. “He will be standing with advocates in this fight for the foreseeable future.”
Democrats, including Indivisible founder Ezra Levin, ripped Biden on Monday for not pushing harder for H.R. 1 or S. 1, known as the “For the People” Act.
“Where is the president? Is saving democracy a priority for this administration or not? I don’t want to see some tepid public statement. We need to see the President and VP using the full force of their bully pulpit to lead,” he tweeted, mentioning Vice President Kamala Harris, who was asked to spearhead the White House’s strategy.
Senators are scheduled on Tuesday to vote on whether to debate S. 1, a move that is predicted to fail as not enough Republicans endorse the measure. But Democrats in the chamber are not united behind the sweeping proposal either, including its public campaign financing and automatic voter registration provisions.
West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin, the only Democratic holdout, does not support S. 1 unamended. Manchin’s compromise framework, which would make Election Day a federal holiday, create more early voting opportunities, and ban partisan gerrymandering, has earned the approval of former President Barack Obama and Stacey Abrams as some Democrats press for achievable reforms by the 2022 midterm elections.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
Yet, liberal Democrats are growing frustrated with Manchin for obstructing their agenda. They contend messaging bills should be bolder and more ambitious, particularly if they are doomed not to succeed without overhauling the Senate’s filibuster rules.