United States President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, the nation's first Black and first female vice president

(www.clevelandurbannews.com) / (www.kathywraycolemanonlinenewsblog.com) the most read Black digital newspaper and Black blog in Ohio and in the Midwest. Tel: (216) 659-0473. Email: editor@clevelandurbannews.com

By Kathy Wray Coleman, associate publisher, editor-in-chief

ATLANTA, GEORGIA - Speaking from the predominantly Black city of Atlanta, President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris on Tuesday called for the U.S. Senate to change filibuster rules in an effort to get two voting rights bills passed in Congress, namely the Freedom to Vote Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act.

All 50 Republicans in a 50-50 U.S. senate are against a filibuster rule change as well as the enactment of such bills, proposed legislation on voting supported by the Congressional Black Caucus and Black leaders and Civil Rights organizations across the country.

Two Democratic senators, Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema, are siding with Republicans on the filibuster controversy. The senate will vote on whether the rules should be changed to eliminate the filibuster, an uphill battle for Democrats. Under current Senate rules, any modification or limitation of the filibuster would be a rule change that itself could be filibustered, with two-thirds of those senators present and voting (as opposed to the normal three-fifths of those sworn) needing to vote to break the filibuster.

"I'm tired of being quiet," Biden said during his speech on Tuesday in Atlanta before a small but largely Black audience that sat outside behind him, the event also a Biden-Harris press briefing. "Sadly the United States senate, designed to be the world's greatest deliberative body, has been rendered a shell of its former self. We must find a way to pass these voting rights bills."

A filibuster is a political procedure where one or more members of a Congress or Parliament debate over a proposed piece of legislation so as to delay a decision being made on the proposal or entirely prevent such a decision from occurring. And such limited debate can continue unless of three fifth of those senators present vote to end the debate, or filibuster, A former U.S. senator -turned vice president, and then president, Biden said Tuesday that the threat to the country's democracy is so grave, and that "we have no option but to change the senate rules, including getting rid of the filibuster for this."

His more aggressive stance on voting comes as the mid-term elections loom and following pressure from Black leaders and Civil Rights groups such as the NAACP for the president to take a stronger position on voting rights and to make good on his campaign promises to Black voters.

During a speech after he was elected in November 2020 over incumbent Republican president Donald Trump with the help of Black voters nationally, Biden, a Democrat and vice president under former president Barack Obama, promised to stand up for Black people, and Black voters.

"The African-American community stood up for me," Biden said relative to the after election speech. " You've always had my back and I'll have yours."

Vice President Harris spoke briefly at Tuesday's briefing with the president in Atlanta and urged swift Congressional action on the demand by Senate Democrats to end filibustering and pass the two voting rights bills at issue.

“If we stand idly by, our entire nation will pay the price for generations to come,” said Harris, the nation's first Black and first woman vice president.

At least 19 states, including Ohio, and led predominantly by Republican state legislators, have enacted laws to make it harder for Blacks to vote, Democrats and voting rights advocates say.

While in Atlanta, Georgia on Tuesday, Biden later spoke at the historic Antioch Baptist church where U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock has been pastor since 2005. Civil Rights leaders such as the Rev Al Sharpton and the Rev Jesse Jackson were among the prominent Black dignitaries there. But some voting rights groups purposely stayed away and have said that Biden has not been assertive enough in seeking Congressional legislation around voting rights since becoming president.

Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams was a no show due to a scheduling conflict, Biden said. (www.clevelandurbannews.com) / (www.kathywraycolemanonlinenewsblog.com) the most read Black digital newspaper and Black blog in Ohio and in the Midwest. Tel: (216) 659-0473. Email: editor@clevelandurbannews.com. We interviewed former president Barack Obama one-on-one when he was campaigning for president. As to the Obama interview, CLICK HERE TO READ THE ENTIRE ARTICLE AT CLEVELAND URBAN NEWS.COM, OHIO'S LEADER IN BLACK DIGITAL NEWS.