1960s Act News Today

Citizenship and self-government. representative john bingham, the principal author of the 14th amendment, called the right to vote the source of all institutions of democratic government. bingham and other framers of the reconstruction amendments also knew that a meaningful right to vote requires meaningful enforcement. months after ratification of the 15th amendment, congress enacted the first ku klux klan act. it reenacted the right to vote and instructed martials to bring criminal rights agai...

Rights act and the clearance provision. the brief was filed just weeks after i arrived at the department, and in seven months later and in an opinion by douglas thurgood marshall, they said the act was plainly a constitutional method of enforcing the amendment. there are many things that are open to debate in america. but the right of all eligible citizens to vote is not one of them. the right to vote is the cornerstone of our democracy, the right from which all other rights ultimately flow. in ...

Lawyers. accordingly, today i am announcing that within the next 30 days, we will double the divisions enforcement staff for protecting the right to vote. we will use all existing provisions of the voting rights act, the national voter registration act, the help america vote act and the uniform and overseas citizens absentee voting act to ensure that we protect every qualified american seeking to participate in our democracy. we are scrutinizing new laws that seek to curb voter access, and where...

Under the assistance of the deputies and the assistant attorney general, they will use promoting access to voting. it ensures assisting people as permitted by law. we will also work with congress to provide all necessary support as it considers federal legislation to protect voting rights. although we will not wait for that legislation to act, we must be clear-eyed. the shelby county division eliminated critical tools for protecting voting rights. and, as the president has said, we need congress...

To pass through congress? >> what we know from the justice department is hes going to announce some concrete steps that the justice department said they can take that they said would secure the fundamental voting rights of all americans. now, what the justice department can do from the executive branch versus what can be done through the legislative branch, that is something for lawyers and general counsels in the executive branch to figure out amongst themselves. im sure they have been spending...

Citizen to have an equally feblgt active voice in the political process. ly they follow the judiciary and both followed the civil rights movement that swept the country. 1965 in the wake of bloody sunday, and based on a record developed in large part by the civil rights divisions mitigation, congress enacted what president johnson called, quote, one of the most monumental laws in the entire history of american freedom, the voting rights act. the act was reauthorized and signed by president nixon...

Jr. quote, he said each of us has a moral obligation to stand up, speak up and speak out. when you see something that is not right, you must say something. you must do something. democracy is not a state, it is an act, and each generation must do its part. thanks to all of your work, the department of justice will always stand up to ensure the survival of the central pillar of our democracy. thank you. [ applause ] >> we have been listening to u.s. attorney general merrick garland deliver a poli...

In 1961, the attorney general called into his office the attorney general for civil rights, burke marshall, and marshalls first assistant, john dior. at that time before the 1960s act, the only way to guarantee the right of black americans to vote was to bring individual actions in each county and parish that discriminate against them. kennedy told his assistants that was what he wanted to do. well, general, burke marshall replied, if you want that, weve got to have a lot more lawyers. well, tod...

0 its great to see you. im geoff bennett, and as we come on the air, there is a lot happening on this summer friday. this hour we will see president biden and the first lady at the g7 summit in the u.k. theyre about to have a gathering of world leaders and theyll be joined by british royals. well have it for you live if it happens. back here at home, there is bombshell news on the trump doj, saying they seized the records of high democratic lawmakers and their families members all hunting down l...