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'Outrageous': Biden condemns new Georgia law as a 'blatant attack' on voting rights
President Joe Biden on Friday condemned the sweeping new voting restrictions in Georgia as "outrageous," "un-American" and "Jim Crow in the 21st Century."
"This law, like so many others being pursued by Republicans in statehouses across the country is a blatant attack on the Constitution and good conscience," Biden said in a statement.
In comments to reporters as he departed the White House for the weekend, Biden expounded on his criticism, calling the law an "atrocity" and lambasting a provision that makes it illegal to take food or water to voters in line.
"If you want any indication that it has nothing to do with fairness, nothing to do with decency, they pass a law saying you can't provide water for people standing in line while they're waiting to vote," the president said.
"You don't need anything else to know that this is nothing but punitive, designed to keep people from voting. You can't provide water for people about to vote. Give me a break."
Biden's remarks comes a day after Republican lawmakers pushed through drastic changes to the state's election process that were immediately signed into law by Republican Gov. Brian Kemp.
The 98-page law outlaws providing food or water to people waiting in line to vote and adds additional voter ID requirements to mail voters and shortens state runoffs.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., called the law "despicable" Thursday night.
"Since 2012—the GA GOP has closed more than 200 polling places. Voters in mostly Black precincts now wait 8X LONGER to vote than voters in mostly white precincts," he wrote in a tweet.
"Now the GOP makes it a crime to give water to people standing in long lines THEY CREATED."
ALSO:"This law, like so many others being pursued by Republicans in statehouses across the country is a blatant attack on the Constitution and good conscience," Biden said in a statement.
In comments to reporters as he departed the White House for the weekend, Biden expounded on his criticism, calling the law an "atrocity" and lambasting a provision that makes it illegal to take food or water to voters in line.
"If you want any indication that it has nothing to do with fairness, nothing to do with decency, they pass a law saying you can't provide water for people standing in line while they're waiting to vote," the president said.
"You don't need anything else to know that this is nothing but punitive, designed to keep people from voting. You can't provide water for people about to vote. Give me a break."
Biden's remarks comes a day after Republican lawmakers pushed through drastic changes to the state's election process that were immediately signed into law by Republican Gov. Brian Kemp.
The 98-page law outlaws providing food or water to people waiting in line to vote and adds additional voter ID requirements to mail voters and shortens state runoffs.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., called the law "despicable" Thursday night.
"Since 2012—the GA GOP has closed more than 200 polling places. Voters in mostly Black precincts now wait 8X LONGER to vote than voters in mostly white precincts," he wrote in a tweet.
"Now the GOP makes it a crime to give water to people standing in long lines THEY CREATED."
The New Jim Crow Laws Aren’t Just About Suppressing Democratic Voters - They’re also about shoring up the Republican base.