political rancor. how can that be? the voting rights act was one of the crowning achievements of our democracy. the result of republican and democratic efforts. if we want to honor this day, let that hundred go back to washington and gather 400 more and together pledge to make it their mission to restore that law this year. that s how we honor those on this bridge. and with those words, with his own symbolic so jurn across the edmund pettus bridge and with the tens of thousands who followed the path of the original foot soldiers selma once again called the nation to a moral reckoning and to political action to protect the vote. apparently not everyone was listening, which is why my letter of the week is going to ohio secretary of state john husted. dear secretary husted on thursday, just four days after the massive commemorations and
across this country designed to make it harder for people to vote. meanwhile the voting rights act, the culmination of so much blood, so much sweat and tears, the product of so much sacrifice in the face of one violence the voting act stands weakened. its future subject to political rankor. how can that be? president reagan signed its renewal when he was in office. president george w. bush signed its renewal when he was in office. 100 members of congress have come here today to honor people who were willing to die for the right to protect it. if we want to honor this day, let that hundred go back to washington and gather 400 more and, together, plan to make it their mission to restore that law this year. that s how we honor those on this bridge.
they did, that change depends on our actions! reporter: so the president talked about the past and honored the past but he also talked about the present and he talked about the future. he noted that the voting rights act of 1965 which was the land mark legislation came out of these marches in selma and other efforts he called it one of the crowning achievements of american democracy but he called on congress to do more to strengthen the voting rights act after they struck down a key provision of that law in 2013. 100 members of congress have come here today to honor people who are willing to die for the right to protect it! if we want to honor this day, let s that hundred go back to washington and gather 400 more and plant to make it their mission to restore that law of this year. reporter: the president issued that challenge to members of congress, more than a hundred
violence the voting rights act stands weakened. its future subject to political ranker. how can that be? the voting rights act was one of the crowning achievements of our democracy. the result of republican and democratic efforts. president reagan signed renewal when he was in office. president george w. bush signed its renewal when he was in office. 100 members of congress have come here today to honor people who are willing to die for the right to protect it if we want to honor this day, let that hundred go back to washington and gather 400 more and together pledge to make it their mission to restore that law this year. that s how we honor those on this bridge.
sweat and tears and the product of so much sacrifice in the face of violence and the voting rights act stands weakened. its future subject to political rancor. how can that be? the voting rights act was one of the crowning achievements of our democracy. the result of republican and democratic efforts. president reagan signed its runewel when he was in office. president george w. bush signed his renewal when he was in office. 100 members of congress came here today to honor people who are willing to die for the right to protect it if we want to honor this day, let that hundred go back to washington and gather 400 more and together pledge to make it their mission to restore that law this year! that s how we honor those on this bridge.